Twins from a different mother
by starhallow
Summary: "The mother that controls the dragons shall find her twin, a twin born from a different mother. Only when they rule will light be back in your land." And so it started, a race to find the twins, a race to safe their land.
1. PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE:

The woman was scared, extremely scared. She had been working for her grace for a couple of months now, cooking in the kitchens, washing clothes, preparing baths when needed, and no one had yet to discover her secret. That, however, changed two days ago when one of her soldiers, her children, had seen her while she was having one of her visions. And now she was kneeled before Daenerys Stormborn and her three dragons.

"Speak witch" the white woman said, and so, she started her tale. Missandei listened closely, gently asking her to stop with her eyes every now and then.

"She says that she had a dream. In her dream stags and lions killed dragons, even though wolfs tried to stop them. She says that stags and lions became one, but more lions were born from that union, no stags. She says, that is the reason the dark days came. And so, the lion cubs grew up, and they decorated their manes with roses, even, if sometimes their thorns wounded their skin." Missandei translated.

"This is nonsense Khaleesi" said the bear man suddenly. 'Does he really think that no one notices the way he looks at the queen?' the woman thought. "Silence Sir Jorah, my children brought me this woman for a reason, I would like to hear the rest".

The woman started talking again. "The lions do not know that there are survivors of the dark days: dragons disguised as wolfs, stags dressed as bulls, a she wolf that is losing herself little by little, and another wolf poisoned by a mockingbird... Survivors that will want revenge and, if things are not done right, will sink the land in more darkness."

"So, what you are telling me is that by the time I go back home, I will have no land to rule?" Asked the white woman concerned.

"No, the mother that controls the dragons shall find her twin, a twin born from a different mother. Only when they rule will light be back in your land".

The white woman looked at her then, really looked at her, eyes wide and mouth slightly opened, one word forming on her lips: "Aegon".


	2. CHAPTER 1: WINTER IS COMING

CHAPTER 1: WINTER IS COMING

I obviously don't own any of the characters in this story... I just wish I would...

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Jon Snow had a privileged view. He was standing on the edge of the Wall watching out for anything: wildings, giants, white walkers... He knew deep down that he would not see what his heart really wanted to see, a woman with fiery red hair coming back to him. Jon shook his head, he should not think about that right now, this was his watch, he could not be distracted.

His mind, however, had other plans... He remembered the first time he was there, in that same spot, hoping his uncle Benjen would come back some day, training to be a member of the Night's Watch, wishing he would be remembered for something more than being Eddard Stark's bastard. And now, there he was, Lord Commander and still feeling the same way.

He suddenly caught himself wondering: what if he never left Winterfell? Would his younger brothers be alive? Would their home still stand? What if he had left the Night's Watch when he had the chance, when he heard that Robb was rebelling? Would he feel better if he had tried to save his father? Would he know that Robb was headed straight to death when he decided he would go to the twins?

He was confused; he decided to join the Watch so he could forget he was a bastard, so he could be as honourable as his father once was. Instead, he had failed his family when he did nothing to avoid them being slaughtered and he had failed the Watch and the vows he took, in that cave when he and Ygritte...

Ygritte... Her name hurt more than one hundred swords going through his body. He had loved her, still loved her, and at the end of the day he also betrayed her. He did try to warn her, he told her that they were not ready, that the Free Folk were numerous but untrained, that they had no skill in combat, that they were no army... And yet they ignored him, and they died, one by one. He fought like he was supposed to, he defended his home like there was no tomorrow, and at the end he lost her like he knew he would. 'You know nothing Jon Snow' she used to tell him, and she was right, she had always been right.

Something cold touched his gloved hand and Jon jumped. "Ghost! You should not scare people when they are on the edge of the Wall!" Jon looked at his direwolf, who was now as big as a horse, and found the beast looking back at him with a wolf version of what Jon supposed was a grin. "Have you come to offer me some company? How thoughtful... If you had been here four bloody hours ago you would have helped me kill some time..."

"Talking to the wolf again? One day I am going to start believing those who say you are mad." Jon turned his head from the darkness beyond the wall to find his friend Samwell Tarly walking towards him. He was as short as the day they met each other when they arrived to the castle, but he was a little bit less round now and covered in a lot of clothing to keep him warm. "You should start believing those rumours if I ever tell you that he has answered back." Jon said "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Gilly's baby started screaming an hour ago, he woke the bloody hallway. Some said they would even kill the little Sam if he did not shut up".

That is when Jon looked at Sam again and he noticed that, under all that clothing, was a small child asleep. "He loves coming out here" Sam said "I think he likes peaceful places, it is not peaceful inside anymore. The men are hungry and cold, they complain about anything and everything and that leads to violence... How long do you think we will be able to hold on Jon?"

"I do not know... We have been sending ravens to each and every one of the houses of the seven kingdoms for weeks and we have not been answered. If we do not get the food and the men we need soon..."

Jon left the sentence unfinished; who knew what would happen if their letters were not answered by then? The weather was colder every day, and his men were hungry. Sam was right: things did not look good for them. Everything was silent for a moment. Jon focused on the sound of his breath going in and out of his chest and he looked away again, to the land beyond the Wall. He felt Sam shifting awkwardly, changing his weight from one foot to the other. "What is it Sam? What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing Jon, I was just thinking."

"Bullshit, you have been acting weird for weeks, forget that you have been acting weir since you came back with Gilly and the kid. What is it? Have you been bedding her? You know I would not judge you, I have had my fair share of broken vows."

"No it is not that. It is just that, I promised something to someone, and I thought that was alright at the time, because I did not even know if you were alive, but now that you are here I do not know if it was the best thing to do and..."

"Sam, you are making no sense, spit it out."

"When I run away with Gilly, we hid in the tunnels that connect the castles. One night we heard voices, people talking. I thought it could be men from the watch, and I was desperate to see if someone else was alive, so we walked towards the voices. We found four people, two boys, a man and a young girl, they told us they wanted to go north, I told them not to, I did... But they were determined, I will give them that..."

"Children trying to play heroes... Why would they want to go north? There is nothing worth seeing north from the Wall... Nothing..."

"They said they needed to go north... Anyway, that is not what is important, the important thing is that, they had a direwolf with them."

"A direwolf?"

"Yes, a direwolf and it never left the boy's side... You see the boy, he was sat in a chair..."

Bran. Jon could not believe his ears, Bran was alive and Summer was with him... Suddenly Jon felt all his frustrations surfacing at the same time. "YOU SAW MY YOUNGER BROTHER MONTHS AGO AND DID NOT THINK ABOUT TELLING ME UNTIL RIGHT NOW?"

"Calm down, you will wake the kid up!"

"How can you tell me to calm down when you have just admitted you saw my brother months ago and did not tell me? I could have..."

"What? Drag him here against his own will? Lock him up in a room? There is no where safe anymore Jon, it does not matter if they are here or not. Besides, they did not want to stay here, I told them to stay, I begged them to stay, they wanted to go north so I let them go north. No, it was not the best thing I could do, but I could not leave Gilly alone in Castle Black! A woman between rapists, thieves and murderers, gods know what they would have done to her!"

Jon sighted, Bran was alive, or had been alive at least. There was no turning back now. His younger brother might or might not be dead, and he could do nothing to help him.

"I am sorry Jon, I should have told you sooner, I know, I just did not know how to do it."

"It is time for you to go to sleep Lord Commander." A voice said "Time for the relief."

"Thank you Storm, I will see you in the morrow. Let us go Sam." Jon started walking to his chambers with Sam close behind him "Ghost!" When the direwolf reached them Jon was about to turn right. "Sam, I know you did what you thought was best at the time, but please, do not hide anything like that from me again."

"I really am sorry Jon."

"I know. Now go back to sleep before our little Sam caches a cold." As Jon undressed himself before getting into bed he remembered everything that had happened the past years, and one last though stuck in his head: 'winter is coming'.

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She was helping Mara today, again. There was nothing she could do to avoid it, she knew she needed to practice her dancing, and she knew she had to work hard if she wanted the faceless men to help her. She had to forget who she was, she had to leave Arya Stark of Winterfell behind, but she was not ready to do so. That is why she was here tonight, like any other night helping Mara run her tavern.

Arya Stark would never visit any of these places, not because she minded the dirt or the powerful smells, no: her mother would have never allowed it. Cat of the Canals, however, was free to go to any filthy tavern she wished and no mother would say anything about it.

Arya regretted these thoughts the moment she had them. No, Cat's mother would not disapprove of her in a tavern, but neither would Arya's anymore. She told Mara she needed a moment and stepped outside, then she did the only thing she was strictly forbidden to do: she remembered.

She remembered growing up with her brothers and sister in Winterfell, how fresh snow felt under her toes before her mother started yelling at her because she was going to be sick, sneaking away from Septa Mordane when she did not feel like doing her needlework, shooting arrows with Robb and Jon, teasing Bran because he could not aim right...

She remembered her father, smiling warmly from the distance as she played with Rickon. She remembered him sharpening Ice in the godswood. She remember each and every one of the sentences her father had told her, and some that were not said but where implied in his eyes. She remembered that time when he came to see her practice her water dance in that round room in the Red Keep: the way he smiled, the way his eyes sparkled, and the way his eyes saddened suddenly as if he were seeing a ghost.

She remembered Syrio, her dancing master, the way he taught her she needed to be swift as a deer, quiet as shadow, quick as a snake, calm as still water, strong as a bear and fierce as a wolverine. She remembered his last words for her 'What so we say to the god of death?' "Not today" Arya answered aloud. She remembered running away from the Red Keep and wandering the streets until she got to the Sept of Baelor where she saw her father's last minutes alive; she remembered Yoren taking her away, cutting her hair; she remembered meeting Hot Pie and Lomy.

She remembered Gendry, the stupid bastard, he stayed by her side through thick and thin and suddenly he abandoned her. He left her alone, he chose to stay with the Brotherhood Without Banners. He did try to explain afterwards, but Arya did not want to listen, she turned away acting like the child she had been back then and days later he was gone. Gone somewhere with that red woman that Arya did not like one bit, gone forever.

She remembered almost meeting her mother and her brother again, that is something she wished she could forget. She remembered the Hound, leaving him one night when he was asleep, and never looking back; boarding the first ship that sailed for Braavos; trying to become no one...

But she could not do that. Becoming no one would mean forgetting everything, forgetting everything she had to go through and everyone who wronged her family. She could not do that if she wanted revenge. "Cersei… Illyn Payne… Polliver… the Mountain… Walder Frey…"

"Cat! What are you doing out there, there are a lot of people here waiting for their drinks!"

"I will be right back Mara!"

Arya got back to the tavern, there were drunk people everywhere, she even had a little bit of trouble getting to the kitchens. She took her tray and various cups of ale and Dornish red and began serving. She saw four men in a corner talking in hushed voices. "Are you sure that's him?" asked one of them.

"I'm telling ya that's him… The lad got the looks might as well give us some money".

"What if it's not him, have ya think about that?"

"No one's gonna miss him, the poor bastard."

Arya heard the men laughing, she dropped the ale they had asked for and kept walking on the opposite direction. Hours came and went and the tavern was still full of live.

"Have some rest and some dinner Cat, you earned it".

"Thank you Mara". Arya took a bowl of stew and a lemon cake and sat beside Joan. Joan was a nice girl, quiet and humble and a very hard worker.

"How are you Cat?" She asked.

"It is nice to stop for a minute, it has been a long day."

"Have you noticed those four in the corner? Talking about killing some poor lad, I wonder what he ever did to them."

"Nothing, for sure, I heard they want to deliver his head to someone."

"Poor lad..."

"Girls! Could one of you please help me back here?"

"Sure Mara! I will go, Cat just sat."

Arya Stark had never liked the girl as much as she had that moment. She smiled at Joan and ate all her food before she went to stretch her legs. Once out of the tavern she started walking, wandering around the streets, the canals... She heard someone shout somewhere "Grab him!" Her feet started moving before she even thought about what she was doing. She heard more shouting coming from her left; she could hear more and more shouting, and laughing. Suddenly everything was in silence. One could hear a pin drop. Arya's heart started beating fast, faster than ever before. And then she heard it, screams, screams of terror.

Arya moved fast, ran as hard as she could until she saw them. Four men, four corpses she almost could not recognise, the four men that were planning to kill somebody tonight, dead. Arya almost laughed at the irony, 'all men must die' she thought. She was about to leave when she noticed another body at the other side of the road, it was moving. No, it was being moved, dragged, but Arya could not see what or who was moving the body.

A sudden chill invaded her body, and then she knew... Winter was coming.

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Hello everybody! So this is the first chapter. I know that some of you may be confused by the prologue but believe me, everything is there for a reason.

I would like to tell you that I am going to try to upload every 2-3 days but it all depends on my college schedule and exams and all that jazz. I also would like you to know that I love reviews, and I would love it if you told me what you think about anything I write. I am opened to suggestions. Also English is not my mother tongue so I apologize if there is something grammatically wrong or something. Please if you see anything that you think could improve do not hesitate to PM me!

I know that the scene with Bran did not go exactly like that, but let's pretend it did just for the sake of the story. And I know that the dialogue between the men in the tavern has some mistakes, but those were written that way on purpose.

I think that's all for now

XOXO

Star :*


	3. CHAPTER 2: ASHES

CHAPTER 2: ASHES

I don't own any of the characters in this story...

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She woke up when the noise reached her ears, and looked around suddenly alert. 'Drogon is gone'. She ran out of her tent looking for someone, anyone, which could tell her what was going on. That is when she saw it, Drogon was 'playing' with some sheep. The shepherd, of course, did not know if he should run or stay still so the dragon would not eat him.

"Drogon, stop it!" The beast looked her way then, clearly annoyed she had ruined his fun. He looked at her with his big black eyes and took off, flying away from his own mother. "Are you all right kind man? Did he hurt you or any of your sheep?"

The man shook his head and returned to his sheep; Dany sat down on the grass. That was not right, her dragons, especially Drogon, were wilder every day, as if they were naughty children looking for mischief. 'They are not children though' she thought 'they are dragons, and if I do not do something to remedy this, they will start acting on their own, and things might get ugly...'

Jorah Mormont found her like that, alone on the top of the hill, lost in her own thoughts. "What is it Khaleesi?" He asked "Is there something bothering you?"

"Drogon just tried to eat that flock over there, or maybe he tried to eat the shepherd himself, I do not know anymore. What am I doing wrong Sir Jorah? How can I dream to ride my children if they terrorise the men I command? I promised these people a new life... And they cannot even tell me the truth about the things my children do without being afraid I will do something terrible to them..."

"They are dragons Khaleesi, they do not know how to behave, and they are young..."

"Yes, they are dragons, and they are young... but I need my people to trust me, and they will not do that if Drogon is tearing their sheep apart." The young queen sighted.

"That is not the only thing making you upset, is it Khaleesi?"

"No, it is not my friend. That prophecy keeps replaying itself in my head, over and over again. Right now it is more of a curse than a warning... I just do not know what to do. We have known that Aegon was alive for quite some time, I just chose to ignore it because that would mean that my claim for the throne of Westeros is weaker than it was before. And now, with the prophecy... I just do not know what to do."

"You need not worry my queen, we will do as you wish."

"What if I make a mistake, and by the time I come to my senses there is no land to go back to? Tell me the truth Sir Jorah, what would you do?"

"Maybe we should look for Aegon, see if he is who he says he is. We have nothing to loose... If he really is your brother Rhaegar's son we will know, Sir Barristan will know."

"And if he is who he claims he is? Should I give my throne up?"

"We will cross that bridge when we get to it. He may want an alliance, we could negotiate with him, see what he has to offer."

"I will not give him any of my dragons, that is out of the question."

"Shall I contact him then my queen?"

"Yes Jorah, send the raven." Jorah Mormont stood up, but before he could turn around and leave she called his name again. "Sir Jorah, what do you think the witch meant with that story about wolfs? About wolfs helping dragons and about a dragon hiding between them?"

"I do not know Khaleesi, the only wolfs I can think of are the Starks and they fought alongside Robert Baratheon in the war that destroyed your family. However, rumour has it Ned Stark was extremely angry when he found out what Robert had done to Elia and her children... I suppose we will never know."

"And the dragon between wolfs, could it be Lyanna Stark? I never knew my brother but for what Sir Barristan tells me he was kind and honourable, he does not sound like someone who would kidnap a girl in the middle of the night to me... And rumours say that the she wolf was a tough woman, that she knew how to defend herself..."

"I would not continue with that trend of though... Lyanna Stark might have been wild, but I am sure she was as loyal and honourable as her family. She is not the dragon disguised as a wolf, it could mean anything. We should focus on the present, and let the past be; we should think about that raven we were about to send to Aegon..."

"You are right Sir Jorah, we should..." Suddenly they heard a commotion in the city. Daenerys started running without a second thought, with Sir Jorah close behind her. That is when she saw Drogon again in the middle of the market, turning stalls over with his head, knocking some down with his tail. People were running anywhere, they just wanted to get away from the beast, somewhere safe, anywhere safe. The mother of dragons ran until she was standing in front of the mighty dragon.

"Drogon, enough!" She said. Drogon turned his head back to her in slow motion. He looked at her, like if he were measuring her, like a rebellious young boy or girl would look at his father, as if he knew he was doing something wrong, and did not even care. For the first time since Drogon was out of his egg Daenerys felt unsure, she almost felt scared.

Drogon looked at her one last time, sprat his enormous wings and shook them while he rose to the sky. Then, he breathed fire through his mouth, burning the only two stalls he had not destroyed yet, and flew away.

Daenerys could not believe what she was seeing, this was not happening...

"Sir Jorah, send some of my unsullied here, see that they help repair each and every one of those stalls; give food, coin or anything they need to those who lost their belongings today; and make a maester take care of the wounded. Once that is sorted come back to my tent, we need to write to Aegon as fast as possible, and we need to find a way to stop Drogon."

"We must hurry Khaleesi, or we will be the ones covered in ashes."

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He loved making steel sing for him. He loved the way he was able to create almost anything he wanted from some melted steel had always fascinated him. He can see how much better he is shaping things now, comparing to how clumsy he was when he started working for Tobho Mott all those years ago.

He did not miss those years, not really. He had learned a lot, that was right, but he lived better now. His live was better: living in his small forge, making some money for the swords and pots he made. He tried making some jewellery once, because he knew he would earn more money that way, the gods know that did not end well. His hands were too big to get the shapes right and he lacked the patience that it required.

The fire frizzled right before his eyes and he was back in that god dam room with that red woman whispering sweet nonsense in his ear, telling him the truth about his parents, promising him impossible things... The worst part is that between the walls of Dragonstone he believed her, he trusted her and she used him.

He could still see her if he closed his eyes, looking into the flames with a small grin in her lips. She told him she could see things in the fire, things no one had ever seen, things that were happening that same moment, thing that were yet to happen: anything she wanted to see and the Lord of Light was willing to show her.

That was the reason why he could feel the tension in his muscles increase every time he could hear any sound coming from the fire. He had the feeling that she was watching him every time he heard the flames sizzle.

He knew he would not be where he was now if Davos Seaworth had been as fixated on power as his own uncle was. Davos was a good man, he owed him his live, and he would return the favour someday, he swore it to the old gods and the new, while he was rowing away from hell.

"OW!" Gendry turned around, and there he was, a five year old lad, dark haired and green eyed, holding his hand against his chest.

"How many times have I warned you not to touch any of the tools near the fire without gloves?" He asked.

"A lot?" The boy answered with a sweet smile on his lips, and a couple of tears in his eyes. "Would it mean anything to ya if I said I'm sorry and that I'll never do it again?"

"No, because we both know you'll do it again and I'll have to take care of your burns once more. If your mother could see you right now..."

"Well, it's your fault! You could have choosed to be a baker or something like that, but you had to be a smith... This is the worst job ever!"

"You said it wrong... it's 'you could have chosen' not 'could have choosed'..."

"Sounds the same to me..."

"... and you need fire to bake too boy."

"At least we'd make something yummy, like cherry cake, or lemon cakes..."

"Go get the lotion will you? You sound more like Hot Pie every minute you spend around that bakery across the street." He loved the boy, but he could be quite annoying at times.

He got back to work after throwing some more wood into the fire. He watched the flames dance, warm but deadly if you got too close. Despite the difference in colour they reminded him of a pair of grey eyes, Arya's eyes. He learnt to recognise the ways her eyes changed with each and every one of the emotions she felt. Those eyes could be warm one moment, wide opened, persuading you to share all your secrets; they could chance in a second though, and become hard, stormy and deadly, warning you that if you got too close, you would pay for it; just like the fire before him.

He remembered her wild personality, her sense of adventure, her desire to see his brothers and mother again, the way she kicked and shout when she was forced to do something she did not want to do.

Yes, Arya was like fire, she could not be controlled, no one would ever be able to... He wished he knew what happened to her, he knew Arya was not married to the Bolton bastard; he knew that girl claiming to be Arya Stark was not his Arya. But where was she?

Andry stopped his trend of thought when he came back with the burn medicine. The little boy sat on the small table in the corner of the forge and waited. Gendry washed his hands and took a clean cloth to cover the wound, as well as a thin piece of rope.

"You'd be able to do this yourself already after all the times you've been burnt. I'll put the lotion on your arm and tie it with the rope, make sure the goat across the street doesn't eat it this time."

Andry giggled when he heard that. Gendry was not stupid, even if Arya said so, he knew the boy had probably lost the cloth the other day and just blamed it on the goat. That poor goat would already be dead if it had eaten all that burn lotion and cloth. But Gendry let it go, because he knew Andry was a good boy; he was sure his mother would have been very proud of the little one if she still lived.

"There, all done" he said "Go over there and don't move until I say so".

A couple of hours later Gendry was still working. The world around him had turned dark and you could see men walking around looking for a tavern or a whorehouse. He realised they were running out of wood, so he turned around to ask Andry to get some more. When Gendry saw the poor boy was sleep, he decided not to wake him up and go get wood himself.

He took a big basket, closed the door and walked down the street to the place the wood was kept. They were running out of wood... He would have to wake early the following day if he wanted to work the rest of the week.

He heard voices coming towards him, but he ignored them and continued filling his basket with wood. He lifted it and started walking towards the forge. The voices followed him some steps away. When he got to the forge he walked by it and chose a random road to follow.

Gendry realised he was being followed, three... no, four men followed him through the streets and he did not know why. It seemed that the four strangers got bored of just following him, because in a blink of an eye they were surrounding him.

"What the hell do you want from me?" He asked.

"That black haired head of yours would be nice" one of them said. Gendry realised he had no chance to escape this time: he was alone against four armed men. Gendry put the full basket on the ground.

"At least give me a chance to defend myself, you know this is not a fair fight."He said trying to hide the desperation from his voice. He could only think about Andry: Andry who was asleep on the forge; Andry who would wake up and find he was by himself again; Andry who would be alone from now on.

The men laughed. "Let's just kill him! The sooner we do it, the sooner we get paid!"

"COME ON! I want get some more ale after we are done with this little shit!" That is when they started shouting at each other, throwing angry remarks to one another, and laughing every time they looked at him.

Grendy heard growling coming from an alley close by, and suddenly everything and everyone stopped. Gendry tried to take advantage of the moment of confusion and ran away from the group, but one of the men realised and hit him in the head. Then, everything turned dark.

He felt his body was being moved, dragged, but he was not able to open his eyes... He did not know what was wrong with him, he was conscious for one minute, unconscious the next; and even at his most lucid moments he was still unable to open his eyes.

The next time Gendry was conscious enough to feel something he was freezing, as if he were standing in the middle of a great air flow. He was cold, even if his body was pressed against something warm; Gendry was cold, very cold... And then, he did not feel any more.

When Gendry started feeling again he was somewhere warm, and soft... A bed, perhaps? He was covered too, and the covers smelt nice, some estrange smell he did not recognise. Gendry opened his eyes and saw that he was in a big room, he was sure it was at least eight times bigger than his forge.

The walls were made of stone, a light coloured stone he had never seen. The bed he was in was big enough to fit three grown men comfortably, and had pale golden and cream coloured sheets and blankets.

There was a large table in one of the sides of the room, next to the biggest bookcase he had ever seen. The table was next to a wide window, which was covered in cream coloured curtains. There was a wardrobe on the other side of the room, next to the door.

The door opened then, and he saw Andry getting in, dressed in nice, clean clothes and his injured hand covered in a proper bandage.

"You're awake!" He shouted as he ran towards him "I thought you wouldn't wake up! Thought you'd leave me all alone!"

"Why'd you think I'd leave you all alone Andry? Haven't I told you almost one thousand times that I won't?"

"Yes, but I woke up 'cause someone was pounding the door, and you weren't there. And then she brought me here, and promised me you'd be alright, but I wasn't sure, 'cause you've been asleep for almost a week now... I thought I'd lose you like I lost mamma..."

Gendry held the little boy against himself, he could still not believe he had been out for a week, he had to thank whoever helped Andry and him, and start a new live somewhere away from Braavos. He started thinking about what the child just told him... Suddenly he realised Andry had said 'you' the whole time he had spoken, not 'ya' like he used to... Who the hell had taught him that?

"Hey, buddy, you said someone helped us right?" Gendry asked.

The door opened again, and a young woman came in, a beautiful young woman Gendry thought she had to be his age. She had very long dark hair that reached the end of her back a pretty nose and a kind smile on her lips. Her eyes were a clear violet colour, and she was dressed in a simple blue dress.

"Good, you are up" the stranger said "I just ordered our morning meal to be delivered here, you must be hungry, right Gendry?"

"I'm sorry m'lady, I don't want to be rude but, who are you? And why are you helping us?" He asked.

"My name is Alara... but you can call me Ally."

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Hello there everyone!

I hope you liked this second chapter, I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I know that some of the chapters may be a little slow... but they are necessary for the story, so be patient.

You know that if you want to contact me if you have any doubts or suggestions you can do so reviewing or PM-ing me. I'd really appreciate it.

I suppose I'll update in a 2 or 3 days again. See you then!

Star :*


	4. CHAPTER 3: NEW STARTS

CHAPTER 3: NEW STARTS

I don't own any of the characters, George R.R. Martin does.

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He stood there, looking out of the window, lost in his thoughts. He had had another one of his wolf dreams the other night, running through the tunnels underneath the castle, hauling to the moon... He thought it was funny that the only times he felt free, he was inside his wolf.

He took another glance at the white landscape before him, to someone who had not been there for years it might look beautiful or even incredible, the gods know how he felt the first time he saw The Wall. Those things change when you are Lord Commander and need to look out and provide for all the recruits who are under your command and protection. You do not think the white outside the castle is beautiful then, you think it is deadly. When you realise that you will need to ration the food soon in order to stay alive, when you have to play a role you thought you would never play. 'Robb was born to be lord, not me', that thought had come back to torture him over a thousand times that past month.

Jon had been extremely relieved when he had read the letter Stannis had sent. It was like a breath of fresh air when you were about to drown. However, he knew that all of Stannis' promises would have a price, and that awful red woman that travelled with him was even worse; he only hoped he would still live when they were gone.

Despite being worried that the king's visit would do more harm than good, Jon had to admit that having more food and men to protect the Wall was what he needed. They needed to get ready for winter, he had to find a way to get enough food for all of his men.

"Jon! Maester Aemon needs me, some recruits came back from the last expedition and four of them are wounded" Sam said hurriedly as he walked into the room.

"Then go! What are you still doing here?"

"I need you to take care of little Sam. Gilly is down there somewhere and I cannot ask her, so will you please do it?"

"What am I supposed to do with a baby, Sam? I did not have to even take care of my younger brothers and sisters when they were babies!"

"You will figure it out, it is easy. Just read something to him, nothing too scary, or let him play with Ghost." Sam said leaving the child on a pile of pillows strategically put "Oh! And remember to cuddle him if he starts crying!"

"Samuel, do not dare..." But it was too late. So Jon stood there looking to the tiny babe as he slept. Ghost, on the other hand, looked at him as if he were a little annoying thing that had taken his spot near the fireplace.

Jon started reading various books he had taken from maester Aemon's bookcases searching for solutions. He had been reading them for a couple of hours when he found a possible one: glass gardens. He felt so damn stupid for not thinking about them sooner... They had them in Winterfell, why would not they work here? They may have some problems with snow... but he figured Put that, if he built the glass gardens inside one of the many buildings the Watch did not use, and open various windows so the light could go through them and heat the glass, they could produce almost all the food they needed. No more depending on anyone.

He was looking to a map of the east fortess when one of his black brothers came looking for him.

"Lord Commander Snow, maester Aemon wants to see you and talk 'bout the party that got injured today"

"Alright, I will be there in a few moments. Have you seen Samuel Tarly anywhere?"

"No m'lord, haven't seen him in a while. He left with the wilding girl"

Jon picked little Sam up and headed down to Gilly's chambers with Ghost close behind. He turned left and then right, and stopped when he saw Sam roughly pushing Gilly against the wall. There is no need to say that they were in a rather compromised situation.

Jon cleared his throat once... and twice... and finally he called out for them.

"Hey! Sam the Slayer..." the couple separated immediately. Gilly had the decency to look anywhere except where he was standing, while Sam looked straight into his eyes. "You left this little bundle of joy with me, now I need you to take him back if I want to see maester Aemon."

Jon handed the baby over carefully. "Sam, I do not mind what you do, but please be more careful, if anybody sees you two they will not react the way I did."

Jon walked away from them with a small smirk on his lips; a smirk that did not disappear until he found maester Aemon.

"How bad are the injuries" he asked "will they all live?"

"Yes Lord Commader, they will all be fine. They just need some rest."

"Maester Aemon, I have wanted to talk to you for the past few days. As you know, we will be having visitors in the castle soon and I believe we need to get ready for what may come."

"What does the Lord Commander have in mind?"

"Nothing. I suppose we will deal with them when they come, if you have not got any other ideas..."

"There is not much we can offer, a roof above their heads, some food we can spare... Not that there is much..."

"I was thinking about that before I came to see you. Do you know anything about gardening maester?"

"Gardening? In this land? Are you mad boy?"

"I know we cannot dig outside because everything is covered in snow, but I thought that if we put some men to it we could build..."

"Glass gardens..."

"Exactly, we had them in Winterfell, we could have them here. We could use glass from the windows of the fortresses and castles that are not being used and build a big glass garden inside the east fortress. If we could sow some vegetables and basic cereal and hunt meat, we could be able to survive the winter without depending on kings or queens or lords."

"Well thought indeed... We should look for more information in the library, will you come with me, my lord?"

Jon followed the maester to the library and started looking trough any book he found. It could have been hours until maester Aemon talked again.

"Do you regret it?"

"Regret what?"

"Not leaving the watch to help your brother when you had a chance."

Jon straightened up, he had thought about it a lot of times and always ended up with the same answer. "I do not know. I do not know if I would have been able to stop Robb from doing all the foolish things he did; I do not know if the lady Catlyn would have sent me away for a second time... Do I wish eternal pain to those who torn my family to pieces and made the Stark name almost disappear? Yes, but that does not change where I am right now. I made my choices, just as you did."

"I used to feel the same way... Now Robert Baratheon is dead, killed by a wild boar, and I do not feel any better. I still have to welcome his brother Stannis to the place I live in and treat him as if he were some kind of god reborn."

"Well, that is what he thinks he is, or what the red woman has made him believe. The way she controls him is disgusting, he will do anything she ask him to do, and she just has to make him believe it was his own idea. Sometimes she does not even need to do that."

"The only one who has a little honour left is Davos Seaworth and that is saying something knowing that he was a smuggler. I know the king can be persuasive Jon, but you have seen how that woman works, how her dark magic works. And you have heard the king himself talking about the false kings sprang all over Westeros... I would not be surprised if they had something to do with your brother's death."

Jon knew the maester was right, he knew that the red woman was capable of moving any supernatural strings needed in order to get whatever she wanted.

"Do not worry Jon, I have got a feeling... I feel you will have the chance for revenge soon..."

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That breakfast was delicious, he had to admit it: eggs, bacon, strawberries, fruit he had never seen before, all kinds of cakes and baked goods. Andry was having the best time and he had been talking nonstop since Alara had come into the room.

The boy ate the last lemon cake and demanded them to walk to his room so they could hear him play his precious new piano. By the time he got dressed in some new clothes and head out to Andry's room, the little boy was already running claiming that they were just too slow.

"He is a nice kid" Alara said "he has kept me company for the last week, I swear I had not laughed so loud in over two years."

"Yes, he's kind of a clown, that one."

"If you do not mind me asking, what happened to the mother?"

"Well, not that's any of m'lady's business but, she died when Andry was about two years old."

"You are right, that was rude of me, and you can call me Ally. Really. Anyway, he is lucky to have his father by his side, gods know some of us do not share that fate."

"Oh! No, I'm not his father. I just met the mother when she was pregnant with him, offered some help... I will never father any bastards, there is nothing good in the world for someone who is born a bastard."

"Well, things can change you know..." After that they stayed silent for a while, a comfortable silence. Gendry could not understand how he felt so comfortable around someone he had just met.

"Tell me," Ally started again "how come you were in Braavos?"

"Let's say I made some bad choices and had to leave Westeros."

"I do not blame you with the war going on... How many kings are there now, five?"

"No, three. Renly Baratheon and Robb Stark are dead, so there are only three now". After that they kept walking in silence for some more time turning left o right whenever Alara said so. How big was that house? "I don't want you to be offended m'la-Ally, but I've got to ask, why am I here?"

"I have to be honest with you Gendry, you are not here by chance: I have been looking for you for quite some time. I know who you are and why you ran away."

"What do you want from me?" Gendry was shocked. This stranger had been looking for him? What did she want? Would she hand his head to the queen? Gendry started looking for a way out desperately: a door, a window, a balcony... Anything would work. He was about to jump out from the window when he noticed Alara's hand o his arm.

"I only want you to be safe, believe me. I know what you have been through: hiding, living in fear all the time, wondering if you will be alive the next day... Do not get fooled by the house, the servants... I am just like you."

"What the fuck do you mean?" He was getting really angry now. Who the hell was that stranger? And why the fucking hell did she have the power to calm him down with only a look or touching his arm? That was something not even Arya could do.

"My grandfather always used to say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer; but keep your family the closest to your heart and protect them with your life. That is exactly what I am doing..."

"Hey! Come on, I'm getting bored!" Andry said sticking his head out of a door nearby. The two adults walked the short distance to the child's room and stayed silent as he got ready to play a sweet melody.

"I know you do not believe me" Ally said "but, I only want you to be safe. The red woman came looking for me first, I know what her plan was. And I know that you do not know me, and that I may sound crazy to you but I can prove to you that I am who I say I am."

"How am I supposed to know if you're my family or not if I didn't even know my father?"

"I used to live in the Reach when I was little. Once, while my mother was still alive Jon Arryn spotted me while I was playing with some friends. He asked me about my mother, and after talking to her for hours he left. I was still outside when he parted. I remember him telling me 'Your father is going to be so glad I found you, he is going to give you a beautiful crown made of roses so you can wear it whenever you want'. I saw some soldiers leaving a few moments after Jon Arryn did, all of them dressed in gold and red... When I came home from the market the next day my mother was dead, and I was alone. I worked as hard as I could to earn all the money I could so I could get the hell out of that place. I worked for years, and just before the war exploded again the red woman came to me 'You have a great future ahead of you if you just come with me', she told me. Thank the gods, old and new, I was away from Highgarden and all of its stinking roses by the next morning."

"How did you know about me? Who told you?"

"The man on the ship I was in was extremely nice to me, he protected me from all the bastards in that ship... I told him my story, so he dropped me of with my grandfather. He sent me a raven telling me that one of my brothers was in danger, that Stannis Baratheon wanted his head. He attached a description so I started looking trough the free cities, and when I find you, you are passed out, surrounded by four men who are about to kill you."

"So... you were the growling I listened?"

"No, stupid, I was not the growling." Ally smiled. A beautiful smile that made Gendry trust her a little bit more. There was something about her that made him feel at ease, and for what she had just told him, she was his sister. And, to be honest, she had taken care of him and Andry for a whole week...

"So, I guess I should call you sister from now on?"

"Call me wathever you want, just not m'lady." She told him with a mischievous look. "I know you want to leave, but Andry is happy here and he is learning a lot, you could always stay. I could teach you to read and write if you want..."

"We don't need charity."

"It is not charity, some stupid men with their stupid traditions oppose to take orders from me. So I would teach you how to read, and write and talk properly, and you will help me run this impossibly big house. Do we have a deal?"

"Why do I have a feeling that this won't end well?

"Because it probably will not, but the journey will be fun." She said with a contagious smile on her lips.

"Deal."

"You are not even listening!" Andry complained from the piano, and the new found siblings laughed.

That is how Gendry started learning everything he could the next day. Ally had a crazy schedule for him every day, but he was glad that he could learn how to read and write and be useful at the same time.

Days came and went quickly and soon he was able to read all the books on he wanted. He did not know how he would ever repay the gods for all that they were giving him right now, but he would make sure he did.

He came back from riding outside the streets of Lorath when he found Ally sat by the fireplace with a letter in her hands and a worried face.

"What is it sister? Another suitor you want to scare away and do not know how to?" Gendry joked as he took his wet boots off and rest his feet on a chair nearby.

"Davos sent word... They are at the Wall and the situation is unbearable..."

"Ally... no..."

"We owe him Gendry... If it were not for him we would not even be together right now: we would both probably be dead if he had not been the way he is..."

"You know what we will have to do in order to help him..."

"I know..."

"And you are ready to do that? Expose your family's secret? Risk all of our lives? You need to think this trough Ally, once we do it, there is no going back..."

"What should we do? I want to help Davos, I really do... The man was more of a father to any of us than freaking Robert Baratheon but..."

"We will wait for Eddrick to arrive from Stormsend and decide then ok? Do not stress yourself thinking about that until then, we have other things to organise before anything happens."

"Who could forget Andry's name day?"

"No one, he would burn this house to ashes if he ever thought we did. However, do not ask him to remember your name day... That is just too hard for the poor boy."

Ally laughed out loud then, but Gendry knew she would start worrying soon... The storm had been avoided, he just did not know for how long.

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He woke up after a night of uncomfortable sleep. He went out, hunted something to eat and got back to the cave he had been living in for the past months. The small grave of the man that had saved his live was close by, and he went there and paid his respects. He did not know how long he would be out there... he supposed he would be found soon... He just had to wait.

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Hey everybody!

Here is the next chapter, hope you like it!

Thanks everybody for the amazing follows and PMs! It means the world to me!

Review or PM if you need anything! (I know some of you will be confused after this chapter so I will answer all of your doubts)

Thanks for reading!

Star:*


	5. CHAPTER 4: ALLIANCES

CHAPTER 4: ALLIANCES

I don't own any of these characters

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She got herself ready in the morning. She dressed in a knee length pale blue gown, that had golden flowers embroidered all over it and had a neckline that almost reached her navel. She also wore a three headed dragon necklace that rested between her breasts and a crown on her head. Daenerys Targaryan looked mature, scary, perfect for the occasion.

They had received Aegon's raven two weeks before and decided that a field in the perfect middle of both camps was the best place to meet. She was weary of leaving her people behind, but she was certain that if she did not do this, her beloved Westeros would no longer exist in some years. She was doing whatever was necessary for her people, whatever it took.

Her party reached their destination some hours later, with her dragons flying and roaring in the sky and her unsullied children close behind her. Aegon's party was smaller than hers, but she knew that most of his forces where away in Dorne, waiting for a command.

They stopped on one side of a large field filled with poppies, and Daenerys, sir Jorah and sir Barristan rode until they reached the middle of it. Aegon and two of his men did the same thing.

She could see him better now: he was handsome, silver haired and violet eyed; his jaw was strong and his cheekbones formed a soft curve that ended on his straight nose. He did not look like Viserys at all, Dany decided.

Aegon was looking at her the same way she was looking at him, measuring her, deciding how much of a dragon she was. As if on cue, Drogon roared in the sky and landed beside her, daring Aegon to go any further.

"Aunt, shall we talk in my tent? We will be more comfortable back there with some food and wine." Aegon said without taking his eyes off of Drogon.

"I believe, my unsullied and my dragons prefer it if we stay out here, it would be easier for them to protect their mother like that."

"As you wish. You wrote us inquiring about the possibility of an alliance, I believe that would be an excellent idea. Shall we see our terms?"

"I will not give you any of my dragons. I was the one that resurrected them when every other person in the world thought they were rocks, I was the one that brought them up, I am their mother."

"You do understand you need to give me something right? I am giving you an army, I am giving you Dorne, a way into the heart of Westeros... If you will not give me any of your dragons, then marry me. Marry me and we will have an army so large and powerful that we shall conquer the Red Keep within a week."

The meeting continued its curse and each party returned to their camps once the sun set. Daenerys sat on her tent with Missandei by her side thinking about the events of the day. She was wrong about Aegon, he was not a spoiled child that desired her throne, he was a man, well... nearly, and he had been educated in the art of war. He was clever an ambitious, something she liked, she just hoped she would be able to control that ambition and hunger for power when the time came.

Sir Jorah entered her tent. "You requested to see me Khaleesi." He said.

"Yes, Sir Jorah. We have had an eventful day... What do you think about him, about Aegon?"

"He is not how I expected him to be, he does not look like the late prince Viserys at all, his features are softer, more like yours if I may say my queen. I believe you could be mistaken as brother and sister, almost like twins."

"Twins... What do you think about his offer?"

"I believe it to be a generous offer, he is, as he said, giving us the chance to take Westeros in a very short amount of time."

"Do you really think that is possible? Could we take the Red Keep within a week?"

"If we had an ordinary army, we would not stand a chance. However we do not have an ordinary army, we have the unsullied and your three dragons, things will be easier that way."

"I suppose we would not be able to take the Red Keep on our own, would we?"

"No, your grace, your army is powerful but none of us has been inside the Red Keep for years, we would have to massacre the city in order to get in."

"Then we have no choice but to accept Aegon's offer. Do you think Dorne will support us? Is not Tristan Martell promised to the little princess? What is her name? Myrtille... Mirne..."

"Myrcella, your grace. Yes, she is betrothed to Tristan Martell, but betrothals can change. Dorne will support you, as it has always supported your family."

"Then I will accept Aegon's offer, send the raven at once. And tell Greyworm I need him here as soon as possible. We need to sort out how many men I will be leaving in the cities that I have already conquered."

"Yes, your grace."

Sir Jorah left to find Greyworm and send the raven. Daenerys stayed where she was, sat in silence, trying to organise the mess in her head. She was going home, finally she was going home, and no one would stop her this time. She would have to organise her wedding to Aegon first, but she would go home right after that.

She would take her home back with fire and blood, just the way her ancestors did, riding her dragons to victory. The seven kingdoms would bend the knee, and welcome their new queen, their rightful queen. 'The time is near' she thought 'so near it is stirring the blood in my veins'.

Then why the hell did she have this awful feeling in the pit of her stomach?

"Are you alright Khaleesi?" Missandei asked.

"Do you think this is a wise decision my friend?"

"Why are you asking that, my queen?"

"Because I am afraid we might be making a horrible mistake."

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Hey guys!

I know, I know, this is a lot shorter and later than usual, but I have university exams right now (damn you Bolonia plan!) and I have to spend 3 hours a day in the laboratory, and go to class, and finish some presentations, and study this huge list of antibiotics... So I have been really busy this past week and I really wanted to update so...

I'll seriously try to upload a new chapter by Wednesday I hope, and I promise it will be at least 3000 words long. The next chapter will be about Arya and... I cannot really decideso tell me if you would prefer Daenerys or maybe another character like Eddrick Storm or Aegon.

I'm really sorry... Tell me which character you prefer.

Don't hate me...

Star :*


	6. CHAPTER 5: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

I don't own any of the recognisable characters on this fic or 'Quiet'... I just wished I did.

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CHAPTER 5: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

She felt alive while she ran. The land beneath her paws, the wind whispering in her ear... Her pack was drinking water from the river after hunting and eating that enormous stag. As she looked at them she could see all the different personalities behind each wolf, they were her family now.

Of course she missed her actual family, her brothers, playing with them in the godswood, but this was the life she had now. She was drinking some water when he noticed him, a man in torn clothes cleaning something by the river. The smell of blood reached her nose soon, a rabbit she supposed. The man stood and walked a dozen of steps away from the river where a small fire was cooking another rabbit. She did not quite understand why he was going to eat so much, but she thought that the poor man had to be extremely hungry to eat all that food.

She trotted a few meters to the right to get a better look at him. She did not know who he was but he was quite intelligent. She noticed he put out the fire as soon as he finished cooking his food, and covered the ashes with dirt. She saw him kneel in front of a big tree, and the return to a cave, that was the moment the man looked her way and...

Arya woke up in her small bed in Mara's inn. She could not even remember half of her wolf dream, but she knew something had Nymeria alert. Seeing the green woods of Westeros trough Nymeria's eyes she could only miss her home. She laid there for a while, looking up to the roof, thinking about the good old days...

She stood up and started gathering all of her belongings, grabbing anything she found and putting inside a big bag. She took all the money she had saving next, until all of her hiding places were empty. She took a piece of parchment and sat down writing her goodbyes, she did not have the heart to talk to Mara and Joan. She folded her letter and left it on the table, she was finally going home.

She got to the port in no time, changed her dress for man's clothing and started looking for a ship that was leaving for Westeros. She found a kind man that let her board on his ship as long as she worked for him helping the cook. The ship was headed for King's Landing, which was not ideal, but she would either buy or steal a horse and manage her way through Westeros until she got to Winterfell.

She was currently chopping some potatoes and adding them to the big pot that was boiling next to her with onions, carrots, and some strange meat Arya would absolutely not eat boiling inside. Turns out, the cook was a good man too, and of course, he discovered she was a girl the first time he saw her… so much for baggy clothes...

"Where were you before you went to Braavos?" Arya asked. She thought all the cook's stories were fascinating, that man had seen so much of the world, that she could not even begin to imagine.

"We travelled from Stormsend, we actually took a lad to Braavos... Nice guy, even if he didn't know how to chop a carrot to save his life... He told me he was visiting his siblings in Lothar, an older lad and a lady."

"How was he like?"

"Dark haired, blue eyed... You'd have liked him, I think. He looked quite dashing."

Arya could not help but laugh, she was sure she would have... As a matter of fact the only man she had ever found remotely dashing had been Gendry: Gendry and his stupid behaviour, and his dark hair, and blue eyes... She shook her head, she had to stop thinking about him. She just could not forget the image of that corpse being dragged away from the alley in Braavos. 'Do not be stupid Arya, Gendry was not in Braavos, he must be having babies with a well doted blonde woman.'

"There is a pretty big storm coming our way, let's hope we make it through it" One of the sailors said. "What are we having for dinner Abe?"

"Well, you'll have to find out, won't you?"

A few hours later Arya was lying in her bed when she heard the thunderstorm. It was loud, the loudest Arya had heard in her entire life, and it was scaring her, it was scaring her to no end. That is when she noticed the water that was going through the roof of her bedroom, she just hoped it was not as serious as it looked or they would all be dead by the morning. Arya tried to sleep, closing her eyes hard and thinking about nice things, trying to figure out the lyrics that her mother would sing to her when she was unable to sleep. 'Parsley, sage, rosemary and... It is no use... I will never get them right.'

A loud knock made Arya jump from the bed and answer the door. Abe was waiting for her on the other side.

"This bloody storm is not a kind one lass, you should gather anything you can and meet everybody up on deck. It doesn't look good."

Arya took all of her belongings and walked to the kitchens first. None of the sailors were there, they were all trying to escape this damn storm with their lives. Hours passed and Arya could not stay still: she was of no use on deck, she knew that, she just had to do something or she would go crazy, she just needed something to entertain herself. A long while later than what Arya would have wished for they left the storm behind.

"Alright everybody! We're safe for now!" The captain said. "But we also have bad news: the storm altered the course of our journey, so we no longer know where we are headed; besides, our ship has suffered extreme collateral damage and we don't know how long it'll last. So get ready and pray so that we see land soon."

And so she did, she prayed and prayed, she did not even know to whom any more. She prayed to the old gods, the new, the god of death... Some days later they finally caught sight of land and Arya had never been so relieved.

The moment she set her feet on solid ground she kneeled and kissed it, it did not matter where they were, as long as they were no longer on that ship. Arya looked around her then, and did not really know if she liked what she saw. All she could see was dark land all around her, as if it had been burned down by a great fire, or dragons. She remembered the way Harrenhall had looked in a rainy day... This was worse. Arya could not spot any sight of live anywhere. She started walking with the group until they reached a beach, its sand as black as the rocks surrounding it. That is when she saw the mighty castle standing strong on the edge of the cliff. Was Arya dreaming or did it look like a dragon?

"Welcome to Dragonstone lass" Abe said.

When they got inside the city she could have sworn she had never seen a city so depressing. This was a place where not even children dared to laugh. 'No wonder Stannis Baratheon is so serious.'

It was still midday when they arrived. Arya had lost most of her belongings in the storm and there were no ships available for travelling, as the king had left for The Wall a few months back. She headed to the castle thinking that maybe she could get a job there, any job.

The housekeeper was a tall thin woman, with sharp features and a scary look. She questioned Arya for hours before she assigned her to the lady Shireen. When Arya met Shireen Baratheon for the first time she had had to try really hard not to stare at her Greyscale mark. The girl was around Arya's age and she seemed nice and sweet, too nice and sweet for this cruel world.

Shireen had never had a handmaiden before, and treated Arya more as a friend than a servant. That was something she liked. She was also talkative and bubbly once she opened up, she had a lot of stories to share, and Arya was happy to listen to them. She often talked about her friend Davos, her father's Hand, and Arya could only wonder how lonely a child's life could be if she sought and old man's company.

That day was a special day. Shireen was going to visit her mother in her tower, and Arya knew that never ended well. Sometimes Shireen would be so upset she would refuse to eat or go out in days, sometimes she would not even see her. It was a hot day, one of the last days of summer. Arya sat by the window reading one of Shireen's books when...

"That horrible woman! I curse the day she entered my father's life!" Well... that was a new one... "Her and her evil ways, her dark magic, her manipulations... How can he follow her so blindly? Does he even care about us?"

"My lady, your father will be back soon, have faith."

"Yes, he will. And he will bring back that awful red woman... You do not know the things she makes him do Arya... They tried to burn one of my cousins to ashes once just because he was Uncle Robert's bastard... Thank the gods Davos let him scape..."

"Did you meet him my lady? Your cousin?"

"No, Arry I did not. Davos told me he looked a lot like Uncle Renly, but I never had the chance to meet him so I suppose he was dark haired and blue eyed like most Baratheons. Why they would try to burn him is beyond me."

"There are some kinds of magic that require a price my lady, a sacrifice. What made you think about all of this, if I may ask?"

"My mother was talking to me about the perks of being the Lord o Light's Chosen one's daughter... It is just crazy... I let my mind wander for most of it. Have you ever wandered, about how when I say 'say red', for example, there is no way of knowing if 'red' means the same thing in your head as 'red' means in my head when someone sais red? Well, I have. What I am trying to say is... I am not sure... But I wonder if inside my head I am just a little different from everybody else. This questions that come in to my mind unbidden, and all the stories delivered to me fully written. And everyone shouts, just because they seem to like shouting, the noise in my head is incredibly loud; and I just wished they stopped my father and my mother, and the red woman, and all the stories would stop for just once. I am sorry, I am not quite explaining it right, but that noise becomes anger and the anger is light; and this fury inside me would usually fade, but it is not today, and the heat, and the shouting, and my heart is pounding, and my eyes are burning and suddenly, everything is..."

"Quiet" Arya said. She understood, the gods know she did. Shireen looked at her, surprised. "Like silence, but not really silent. Just that nice kind of quiet... Like the sound of a page being turned in a book..."

"Or a pause in a walk in the woods, like the sound when you lay upside down in your bed... just the sound of your heart in your head..."

"And even though the lips of the people around me are still moving, the words they are forming cannot reach you anymore... And it is quiet and you are worm... Like if you had sailed into the eye of a storm."

"Yes, that is it exactly" Shireen said. "How do you know?"

"My sister was always my mother's favourite, I was never they way I was supposed to be. So we argued a lot, that is the way I used to feel."

"What happened to them?"

"My mother died. I do not know anything about my sister... she disappeared, just like an ice cube if you have it in the sun for long enough."

"You are a good friend Arry, I am glad you are here with me".

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He walked the multicoloured brick road on his way home. It had been too long since he had last been there, and he missed it. Stormsend was where he was born, and where Renly had taken care of him, but the house in Lothar was just different. Ally had built a refuge for them in that small hill. He remembered the day he met her as if it were the day before: now, almost two years later, he could not be happier he had found her and Gendry.

The house was a crazy mess: servants ran from one side of the house to the other, merchants arrived to the house with all kinds of sweets, cakes, flowers, games... It almost looked like a wedding, but no, it was just Andry's name day party.

He saw Gendry as soon as he entered the house. He was dressed in dark brown breeches and a light green shirt. His forest green vest was unbuttoned, and his boots were dirty. He was standing on the other side of the room, looking out of the window, with his eyebrows frowned.

"What does he want this year? An ice statue? A lion cub?"

"Eddrick..." Gendry said turning around. "You have been missed, brother."

"I am glad to be back. So, tell me, what does the little devil want this year?"

"A mother"

"Wow! I did not see that one coming... How is that working out for you?"

"He is upset, he does not understand why I have not married yet... He is just a kid who lost his own mother, and Ally tries to do all she can, but she will always be aunt Ally. So, she has planned the best name day celebration ever to compensate him not getting what he wants this year."

"How is she? Is she around?" Eddrick asked.

"No, she is down at the dungeon... You know it relaxes her, being with her for a while... She has been worried..."

"Oh come on Gen! It is just a little name day celebration!"

"She is not upset about that Eddy. Davos sent word. The situation north from The Wall and inside it is extremely bad. They do not know how long they will be able to hold it."

"When do we leave?"

"You know what this would mean for us Eddy. Everyone would be in danger, we would have to tell everyone... Stannis is there... Do you know what he tried to do to me the last time I saw him? And I did not know who I was back then, I did not have you with me..."

"Do you think Ally will be able to handle it? Being at The Wall? Being so close to the red woman? Being so close to Stannis after he tried to burn you alive?"

"We will not be able to convince her to stay and you know it. Have you met her?"

"Has he met whom?" Ally said behind them. She looked gorgeous. Her dark black hair was braided and she had tied it with a blue ribbon and decorated it with different tiny flowers. Her dress was also blue, different shades of blue, they always joked about the difference in colour perception between men and women. He just could not understand why women had to name each and every one of the shades in a colour... Her dress was blue then, different shades, it also had some tiny diamonds sown to it all over the skirt and some pearls on the fabric on her chest. The combination made her violet eyes stand out like amatisits.

"Eddy! It is rude to stare!" She said with a smile as she ran and hugged him. "We have missed you! Andry is going to be so happy you are here!"

"Ally, we need to talk..." Eddy started.

"Are breaking up our engagement dear brother? Because I assure I will be devastated" Ally joked.

"Ally... you know we need to talk about it..."

"Not now, ok Gendry? Not now, please. We will have time for that tomorrow, or the next day. Just, let him have his fun..."

"Uncle Eddy! I have missed you! You have been gone too long! Come! I want to show you my new piano!" And just like that, Eddrick was being dragged down the corridor by a jumping ball of energy. He did not know what this kid ate, but he had to find out and make Ally promise she would never feed him that again.

Andry was skilled playing the piano, and he had learned a lot in the past few years, but he could not forget that look on Ally's face as he left; that lost look on her face. He just prayed everything would be alright very soon.

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Hey there lovely people!

Here is chapter 5... or 4.2 as you prefer.

Things start to quicken up in the next chapter, I swear, I just wanted to explore this Arya/Shireen bromance because I have always thought they would complement each other really well if they knew each other. We also have Eddrick in this chapter (hope you like him), did you think he was as dashing as Abe the cook said he was?

Thanks so much to everyone who has either followed or favourite this story, it means so much to me!

Please review or PM!

Thanks again!

Star:*

P.S: I won't make any promises about an update because I have a test on Friday and another one on Monday, but I hope I can update something before that.


	7. CHAPTER 6: PREPARATIONS

I don't own any of the characters in this story... Just wish I did...

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CHAPTER 6: PREPARATIONS

He was waiting yet again. King Stannis had left The Wall a few months ago for the fourth or fifth time that year and Jon was starting to get annoyed. The situation was worse every day. Even though they did manage to keep the Wildings and White Walkers away from the wall they were struggling to survive.

They did not lack food, thanks to the glass gardens that they had built in various locations, nor did they lack men like before, Stannis made sure of it. However, the more Jon asked the new recruits about their past crimes, the more ridiculous they were: half of the lot had been condemned for standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, or not bowing to the red woman. Stannis' obsession with that woman would drive them to death, and Jon just could not allow that.

He walked around the castle for some time, watching how the brothers practiced their sword fighting; how Sam taught the basics of gardening to a select group of new, not very muscular or talented with a sword men; how Sir Davos was disappearing with something in his hands again... Jon was used to odd behaviour, but Davos Seaworth was taking all he had already seen to a whole new level.

The first time Davos surprised Jon was when he decided to stay with him, instead of going home to see his family. The longer he stayed up there, and the worse things became, the stranger was his way of acting. First he started disappearing, then sending ravens he refused to show to Jon... He would have a word with Sir Davos soon.

Jon noticed someone pulling his trousers to find little Sam smiling, and stretching his arms so he could be picked up.

"Hey there buddy, what are you doing here?"

"Sam and Ghost play!"

"You want to play with Ghost? Then we should go look for him should we not?"

Jon was carrying Sammy around when the horn was played once and the gates were opened. King Stannis made his grand entrance, as usual, and waited until Jon got to the yard to dismount his horse.

"Lord Commander Snow, I find everything is well? I bring new recruits, unfortunately not all of them survived our journey." The king said.

"Your grace, you cannot bring the bodies in here, you need to leave them outside, piled somewhere so we can burn them before night falls."

"I see that the Lord Commander has embraced the Lord of Light. He will be happy with your decision Jon Snow, he has great plans for you." Melissandre said.

"I am terribly sorry to disappoint you, my lady, but that is not the reason I want the bodies burned, I want them burnt to prevent them from coming back."

"You should embrace the Lord of Light, Lord Commander, he is after all wining this war."

"With all due respect, my lady, no one wins wars."

"My Lord" Maester Aemon interceded. "Shall we talk about the current situation inside the castle? I am sure His Grace and his party will be more comfortable near the fireplace."

Jon escorted the king into a meeting room. Somewhere in the middle of the way Ghost appeared by his side, and accompanied them also. He sat Sam down by the fireplace and ordered Ghost to stay with him.

"It is time we get you legitimized Lord Commander. You have worked hard, I believe you disserve that honour."

Jon did not know if Stannis Baratheon thought he disserved the honour or the red witch did. Anyhow, he was not going to accept because he knew that if he did he would forever be at his service... and Jon refused to go in between any king's affaires. For gods' sake he did not even get involved on his brother's affaires, why would he even discuss helping Stannis?

"Your grace, you know the Night's watch does not interfere in the matters of kings, so I must reject your kind offer once again."

"Urrrgh... Anyway, how is our situation with the White Walkers?"

"We have not caught a sight of them in about two moons, Your Graze. However..."

"Sorry I am late your graze" Sir Davos said from the door. "I did not know you had arrived. Please Lord Commander, continue."

"As I was saying, we have not seen any White Walkers in two moons, and the ones we saw then did not attack. However, we are running out of dragon glass, and without it we are lost."

"Do you not have any smiths that can shape it?"

"Our smiths were not trained for the job before they got to the Wall, and most of them lack the physique needed for the job."

"The physique, my lord?"

"Yes my lady. A smith able to shape dragon glass should be big, tall, muscular, trained and a good at smith"

"I wonder where we could find a experienced smith with the build and strength of the late Robert Baratheon." Sir Davos said, and Jon was under the impression that he was losing key information once again. Satannis glared in Davos' direction.

"Alright then, we will have to figure out a way of shaping the bloody glass soon. Now gentlemen, if you do not mind, I will be retiring to my usual chambers; the journey was quite tough."

The king left and so did Melissandre close behind. Jon thought it was sickening, how could a man be so completely blind? And deft? Did Stannis not realise the extents of the witch's control over him?

"He is oblivious, he would not be if he had seen what I have seen." Davos answered when he asked him. "Did I ever tell you she once gave birth to a demon child? Right in front of me... The worst experience I have ever had, I swear..."

"My father always said that Stannis Baratheon was an intelligent, honourable man, that he always tried to do what was right for the kingdom. What happened, if you do not mind me asking?"

"Power will do that to you lad, if you are surrounded by the wrong company. If you ever have power and live around people that support your dilutions instead of helping you keep your feet on the ground... I remember that time when honour was the most important quality for our king, I realized he had even lost that when he decided to sacrifice a young man to his new God."

They fell into a comfortable silence, before Davos spoke again.

"Which are our chances of survival if we do not get the smiths ready?"

"Truly? Very little. We need the dragon glass to survive, we need to learn how to shape it... I do not even want to imagine what will happen when we run out of the stone..."

"Is there not any way to make it?"

"I found an old book some time ago, it explains the process step by step."

"Outstanding!"

"Yes, it is. Do you have a dragon handy? Because that is the key of the production and we are a little short of them right now..."

"So, what do we need? Seriously, what do we need in order to survive? What do we need to outlive those infernal creatures? What on the seven hells do we need?"

"A miracle."

"They were silent again, the truth was finally out, they needed a miracle in order to survive this war, in order to survive winter. Jon looked at Sam and Ghost by the fire with no care in the world. Sam was happily talking to the wolf and playing with him as if it were a tiny kitten that was not dangerous at all: rolling over him, messing with his hair, pulling his ears...

Maester Aemon entered the room after knocking. "A raven came for you today Sir Davos. It does not say who wrote it, are you able to recognise the handwriting?"

Jon saw the change on Davos' expression as soon as the maester mentioned the letter. He took it out of Aemon's hand rather quickly and sat down beside Jon before reading the letters content again and again.

Jon could not read a lot from his position. He could see that the letter started with a '_My dearest Davos_" written on a clear and tidy calligraphy. The maester was looking at Jon, asking him with his eyes if he could see anything. Jon simply shrugged.

Suddenly Davos started laughing, laughing like a mad man. 'Poor fellow' Jon thought 'he has finally gone crazy'. Even Ghost lifted his head and looked with his curious eyes.

"What is it Sir Davos? Good news? Something you would like to share?"

"You said we needed a miracle, well, we have one."

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She watched the map in front of her while Aegon talked. As soon as she had accepted Aegon's conditions the strategy meetings began, they would be held one, after the other, sometimes for days, but Daenerys did not mind them. Now, the meetings she had with the seamstress where an entirely different deal. She did not have to plan her first wedding, and the thought of planning that one was so overwhelming she thought she would choke... Of course she had her handmaidens by her side, but they did not really understand what was going on, or what was expected from them, and Daenerys had to do everything herself.

They were arranging everything, in order to take the Red Keep in three months time, and they were working on the details right that moment. Daenerys was sitting down on a large throne like chair decorated with dragons all over it, when one of Aegon's men came in with a raven. He handed the letter to Aegon's second in command, Jon Connington, and left. Daenerys pretended to listen to whatever her betrothed was saying, when she was carefully analysing the expressions that crossed the Griff's face.

"My future wife is more interested in your letter than in my strategies" Aegon said. "Tell us Jon, do not have my lady waiting any more".

"Dorne has agreed to help." Jon Connington said. "Of course there are some, conditions: they want a Dornish man of their choosing to be on the King's small council."

"Agreed, we shall have one of them on our small council." Daenerys said, not missing the fact that her dear Aegon's puppy had just belittled HER right to have a small council. SHE was going to be queen, and if she had to turn her back on her future husband to reach that goal, she would do it without a second thought or regrets. "Go on, sir Connington." Daenerys did not miss Aegon's look of frustration, but she had survived Viserys' rage, she would control Aegon by the month.

"They also want your graces' first boy to be married to a Dornish lady."

"What about the little princess? What are they planning to do with her?"

"Well, she is to be wed with Tristan Martell when she becomes of age, I suppose they will keep her with them: safe and sound."

"No, I will take that child under my protection, along with prince Tommen. They will be stripped of their surname, as they do not have any Baratheon blood in their veins, and serve me and my husband until they wed people of our choosing. If Tristan Martell loves her and is still interested in her when the time comes, he can have her."

"My dear Daenerys, you forget we need Dorne to get into the Red Keep" Aegon said through his teeth. "We will not make it on our own, stop behaving like the spoiled little girl you are and..."

He did not just say that... Daenerys closed her eyes trying to control her anger. Drogon in the sky, however, sensed her distress somehow and started growling so loudly that Aegon had to stop talking.

"Do not get this wrong, my dear. YOU need Dorne in order to succed. I have three dragons, and eight thousand unsullied with me. Do you really think I could not cut their supply income just by putting a wall of fire between the city and us? How long do you think it would be before Cersei Lannister flew away? How long until she surrendered? I am not an idiot Aegon, I know what would happen next: you would come with your golden company and take the throne from me. Believe me, I am doing us both a favour, so stop undermining me just because I am a woman; because this woman has accomplished a lot more than you have in a shorter period of time."

The tent was silent. Sir Barristan was looking at her with a proud smile on his lips, while Aegon looked shocked.

"Now, if you may excuse me, I have a meeting with a very annoying seamstress that cannot just take my measurements right. Oh! And attacking the city entering from the gate of the Gods is just stupid, we would need a lot of time we do not have just to get there. Some of my unsullied will go in through the Iron gate and take care of the guards when we signal them to do so. Then, and only then, you will go in with the Dornish, and play Knights for all I care. I will wait for you seated on the Iron throne."

She left the meeting tent and headed to her own. She talked to Missandei for some time and enjoyed a book the rest of her free time. When the sun began to set someone came looking for her. Missandei walked back to her side, while Aegon made himself comfortable.

"That was quite a stunt you pulled out there"

"Well, I do not know. I thought I did what was expected from a spoiled, little girl..."

"I should not have said that. I apologize. Your idea is actually way smarter than mine was... I just want to go home so bad, feel that I belong somewhere..."

"Aegon, we will get what is ours back, but you need to trust that I also know what I am doing. I know what my dragons can do, I know what we can do. However, we have to be careful, that fortress is not easy to penetrate."

"How do you feel? About tomorrow?"

"This is not my first wedding, I do expected to be a little less bloodier than the previous one. We will make it work Aegon, I have a good feeling about this union."

"About the bedding... I do not know if I am comfortable with that... Do not get me wrong, I just barely know you and..."

"We will not be bedded tomorrow. I will give myself to you when we have King's Landing under control, between the walls of our new home, where the Targaryans should still rule."

"I will leave you now, my lady, I will se you tomorrow."

And just like that, she had Aegon Targaryan wrapped around her little finger. Men were just so easy to please, the slightest promise of sex made them focus on the real problem... Daenerys grinned. She was going back home, with her twin, she was going to save her people.

The next day Daenerys promised herself to Aegon in front of a few guests and the seven. He proved to be sweet and patient with her the following days, but the wait was stressful for both of them.

Two weeks later, everything was ready. They would arrive to Duskendale within two months, at night, and leave ships hidden in a small beach nearby. They would travel during the day and rest at night, always in small groups not to attract any attention and camp in the woods outside King's Landing. They calculated the last group would arrive a month later, and that is when it would begin. The unsullied would get inside the city, take care of the guards and open the gates while the Dornish attacked from the sea and Daenerys marched towards the Red Keep riding her dragons.

She was going back home, and nothing would stop her this time.

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Hey there!

So this is the new chapter... I hope you like it...

I haven't really thought about anything for the next chapter, even though I think it is going to be Aegon and Gendry's POV, and we will see something more about what is going on in Lothar and what the 3 siblings decide. So... yeah that's probably it.

I have a test on Friday... so I don't know if I'll be able to update then... But I will definitely update on the weekend.

As always, review or PM if you want anything, and tell me what you think (don't be lazy... come on... I love it when you review or PM...)

Hope you like it!

Star:*


	8. CHAPTER 7: A NEW ERA

I do not own any of the recognisable characters below

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CHAPTER 7: A NEW ERA

They were finally there, the gates of their new home. After months of arrangements and careful planning they were ready to attack. Aegon was getting dressed in his tent, Daenerys had left early in the morning to check on her dragons, he just wanted this nonsense to end. Their plan was perfect, it had no holes, once the unsullied opened the gates for them, Aegon and his army would attack while Daenerys headed to the Red Keep burning everything around her. Dorne would close the exit by sea, no Lannister would be able to get out, and the Iron Throne would be theirs. Too bad Tywin Lannister was already dead, or he would have chopped his head with extreme pleasure. After all, he had been responsible for his mother and sister's deaths...

He was thinking about that when Daenerys entered the tent and approached him. She was beautiful, wearing a blue dress that was tight around her chest and upper body, hugging all her perfect curves, and looser once it reached her waist. It was decorated with black ivy like designs that ended in dragon heads if you looked close enough. She was also wearing some tight leather breaches and knee high black boots.

"Are you ready, darling?" She asked looking directly to his violet eyes, those eyes that matched hers. He could feel she was nervous, even more nervous than on their wedding day.

"Yes, I am. Are you ready?"

"We are so close... I can only hope everything goes well..."

"Everything will be alright. The plan is flawless, and we have your three dragons. The do not stand a chance. We will be sitting on the Iron Throne by sunset. Have faith."

He was enchanted by her, her eyes sparkled now with a whole new light. He had restored her faith in herself and she was ready to take what was theirs with fire and blood, just the way their ancestors had done centuries before them. It would all be worth it.

He was still in that state of trance when she stood on the tip of her toes and kissed his lips lightly.

"I will be waiting for you on our new home" She said. And then, she kissed him properly. A mind-blowing kiss he would have dreamed about for many days and nights if he were not about to fight a battle. With that last kiss, they both stepped out of their tent hand in hand and parted ways, in order to get ready for battle.

Aegon had just got on his horse when Jon Connington approached him. He owed his live to that man.

"So, here we are... About to take your country back, how does it feel?"

"Well, I would not say the country yet... We have to fight all the other fake kings before we call Westeros ours again, but with Daenerys and her dragons by our side, I do not see that taking too much time..."

"Concentrate on making an heir to the throne you are going to fight for first. Then you can do whatever the hell you want..."

"We should concentrate on the battle before us first, and then proceed to the baby making, should we not?"

"You are right... We will have time for that once you are sitting in that bloody chair... You should ask for a pillow for your derriere though, I recon your father used to say it was quite uncomfortable..."

"I will Jon, I will. You know... You were always more of a father than Raeghar Targaryan was to me... I know it was not his choice, and that he loved all of us very much, but... I just want you to know that you are like a father to me... And that is why I would like you to be my hand once I am king."

"What does your wife think about this, your grace? She is a lady with quite a temper..."

"Daenerys will come around... She will not expect me to have Jorah Mormont as hand, will she? With all the privileges that man takes, I will find him lain on my bed waiting for my wife and I one day... If it were for me, I would have him exiled only for looking too much at her."

Aegon did not have too much time to continue his chat. With a blink of an eye, King's Landing's gates were opened for them. Aegon signalled his men to head to the gates... After that it all became a blur.

Aegon could see Lannister men around him, surrounding him and his horse, fighting his men, killing his men... He reacted just in time to avoid a sword cutting his arm, and started fighting for his throne, his wife, his people. He could hear screaming around him, and he could feel the heat of the fire that Daenerys' dragons breathed. He was about to ride to the Red Keep when his horse fell. Aegon jumped down of the animal and saw that it was bleeding out from its chest. Without a second thought Aegon started making his way to the palace by foot.

He went through one, two, five, ten Lannister soldiers only to be faced by more of them coming out from all directions. There was one that looked particularly deadly. He was tall, dark haired and dark eyed; he also had a creepy grin on his lips and was about to swing his sword in Aegon's direction. He barely had any time to react when he lifted his arm enough to block his attacker. He could hear Jon's voice correcting his moves as he had so many times before during practice; but this was no practice, one wrong move could mean he would be dead, and he could not let that happen, not when they were about to take back what was theirs.

So he struck hard, taking his opponent by surprise, making him take a few steps back. He kept swinging his sword, until his right foot slipped in a pool of blood and he fell. That was the end... Aegon was aware of it... The soldier took his sword and hanged in the air, looking into his eyes before he stabbed him.

Aegon looked straight to him, he looked to his death in the eye and waited for it. And then... the man was on fire. Really on fire. He looked up to the sky and saw Rhaegal growling above him. He took a minute to take his surroundings in: they were wining, the city was theirs.

"Aegon! Get up son, and get on the horse! We have a throne room to take!" Jon said. Aegon got up quickly, got on the horse and headed to the Red Keep. He could see corpses in the streets, the unsullied had done their job incredibly well. He could not see any people though, and that worried him... Why were they not welcoming their new king? Why would they not even dare to stick their heads out the windows to at least look at him?

They reached the Red Keep in a matter of minutes, and the sight before him awed him. All those towers, red as blood, the immensity of the building itself they were all too good to be true. They went through the gates that gave to the gardens where the three mighty dragons stood, proud and intimidating. Aegon looked in Rhaegal's direction, his green scales reflected the sunlight and almost camouflaged him with his surroundings. He walked up the stairs until he was face to face with Greyworm who guided him through stairs and hallways until they both reached the throne room.

Daenerys was seated in the Iron Throne and had yet to realise that he had arrived. She had changed into a more ladylike gown, violet with golden decorations, and she was talking to Barristan Selmy. He saw a bold man near them, waiting patiently standing next to a girl. A beautiful girl, he might add. She was dressed in a pale green gown, with a provocative neckline and an opened back. Her brownish hair was partially braided, and the rest fell smoothly on her shoulders. She bowed as soon as she saw him, attracting some attention.

"I suppose we will have to make another one of those thrones now, do we not darling?" Aegon asked his wife, making his presence known.

"We can take turns sitting on it until we manage to build a new one" She answered. "Have you met our guest? The lady Margery of house Tyrell?" Daenerys said signalling the brown haired girl.

"A pleasure, my lady. May I ask, where is your husband?"

"I do not know, your grace. The lady Cersei asked for them to have dinner by themselves a couple of days ago, and I have not seen them since."

"What do you mean by that? Daenerys, my darling, have your unsullied not found them inside the Keep?"

"It seems the Lannisters were warned about our plans, they left nothing behind; except the lady Margery."

"Then, we shall start looking for them immediately. I will talk with Jon right away. Now, I believe we are all tired, we should dine and rest for tomorrow."

"Darling, we have to decide what to do with the lady Margert first..."

"Well, she should stay here with us, do you not think? She is after all, our guest."

"Of course. Let us dine now, we have earned our meal tonight."

They headed to their chambers after dinner. Aegon realised Daenerys did not seem to be in a good mood, which surprised him.

"Darling, is everything alright?"

"Why do you not ask Margery Tyrell? You seem quite fond of her already. If the thought ever crosses your mind Aegon, I swear you will be Drogon's next meal."

"Wow! I was just being polite. You do realise that girl has spent years with the Lannisters, right? She knows too much to let her go before she tells us everything. Do not get jealous Dany, I only have eyes for you."

"You better."

Aegon got closer to her and kissed her with all his being. They had taken the Red Keep, they were the ones sitting on the Iron chair, they were on top of the world, and he would make sure she kept the promise she had made, that night.

He took her in his arms and guided her to the bed, unlacing her dress and getting rid of his clothes. That night, when he felt like the king of the world, he made her his.

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He was pacing in front of the fireplace again. It had been days since they made their decision, days since they had sent two hundred men somewhere unknown... He could not stand still for one moment, not until the raven arrived.

"Stop pacing Gen, or Ally will have your head"

"I cannot help it Ed, the raven should have arrived days ago..."

"Well, then it is a good sign it just did, is it not? You two should have more faith in our men..."

Ally looked at them with disappointment. He just wanted his men to be safe, and with all the political drama in Westeros he was not sure they would be. 'His' men were actually descendents of exiled Westerosi people that wanted to return home. The first time he had met them, he thought they would be power hungry men and women, longing for a better life and a climb on the social ladder. He could not be more mistaken. These people were nothing like that, they just wanted to return home. Some were rich, some were poor, some had families there, and some just wanted a new start. They did not feel comfortable on their new land, and wanted to go back somewhere they would belong.

They called themselves the Steel Company, and Gendry had to admit they were a rough bunch. That is why they decided to contact them, when Davos' letters arrived. Two hundred men of the company had sailed to Westeros two weeks back, and they had yet to hear from them; at least, until Ally arrived with a letter on her hand.

"Dearest Alara, I am pleased to inform you that we are all safe. We have had some trouble convincing the lords to let us stay within their walls, thus our lack of ravens. Our luck, however, changed when we met Howland Reed on our way to Hornwood. He was first headed to Winterfell, but decided to accompany us in our journey, when we talked with him about our mission. Lord Reed has written to various small houses on the way to the wall to guarantee that we sleep between walls each night. We will leave in groups of 25 every five days, as we will attract less attention that way. I trust we will meet in Last Hearth in some days. Always faithful, Sir Leobald."

"That is great, how are preparations going, Ally?" Eddrick asked.

"Everything is ready, we will leave tomorrow at dawn, and if we are lucky we will reach Last Hearth in eight days."

"How do you plan on... No, no, no, no... Ally I will not ride that beast again..."

"Be nice Gen! She loves you... It is the fastest and most comfortable way to reach our destination. Besides, you have already travelled that way once, what is the problem?"

"I will be bloody conscious, that is the problem!"

"Oh boo ho... Man up!"

"She is right Gendry, we will need less time that way." Eddrick interceded.

"Alright, and have you thought about what you are going to do with her once we get to Last Hearth?"

"Yes, she will hide in the woods until the time is right."

"Alright, and what about the luggage?"

"The second party that travels to The Wall after us will take our luggage, weapons and whatever the hell you want. You should both go to bed, we leave early tomorrow."

And so they did. They arrived in Last Hearth eight days later as Ally promised and they bought a horse each before getting inside the keep. When they arrived all their men were having dinner in the great hall, and none of them noticed the siblings at first. The three siblings walked through the tables greeting the men and women at their service. Gendry had just lifted his head when he saw a man looking at him with a surprised look. Another man beside the first one also looked towards him from the head table. Soon, all eyes were on him. Sir Leobald noticed and started making introductions.

"My lords, these are the three siblings I was telling you about. That is Eddrick Storm, Gendry Waters and Alara Flower..."

"They may be illegitimate, but there is no telling these are not Robert Baratheon's children... And if what Stannis says is true, and Tommen and Myrcella are Lannister pups..." The first man said.

"Then this young man is the heir to the Iron Throne." The second finished. "I am Howland Reed, Lord of Greywater Watch, and this one is Mors Umber. This kind man has told us you are headed to the wall?"

Gendry took his chance to talk.

"We received word that the Wall needed help, so here we are."

"How have you been able to travel north so quickly? As far as I know, you were still in Lorath a week ago."

"You would not want to know all our secrets too soon, would you Lord Reed? We came as fast as we could once Sir Leobald informed us about their location. We were quite worried about them." Ally interceded, saving them from Gendry's lack of imagination.

"Are you not afraid of The Wall, my lady? After all, it is full of thieves and rappers..."

"You are too kind Lord Umber. However, my grandfather taught me how to use a bow."

"Who was your grandfather, my lady?"

"He was a merchant, born and raised in Lorath. My mother, always the adventurous one, sailed to Westeros and lived in the Reach for years. Then she met my father, and the rest is history."

Ally always managed to get away with whatever she wanted: a couple of pretty sentences and she had Lord Umber wrapped around her little finger. They stayed within the castle for a couple of days before they marched towards The Wall. They rode every day until they found a safe place to spend the night, always surrounded by woods. Lord Reed complained a couple of times about hearing something, a beast around their camp at night, but they managed to distract him somehow.

Lord Reed was a tall man, well built, strong and mysterious. He kept quiet most of the time and asked the right questions on the right time. He kept glazing at Gendry as if he were a ghost, and he even stared at Ally sometimes, not in a creepy way, but a calculating one. When Gendry asked him why he followed the Steel Company instead of continuing his journey to Winterfell the only thing the man said was:

"That Bolton bastard wrote to me, telling me that he had my daughter Meera with him and that I had to pledge my alliance to him. I love my girl, so I set out on my way, but I had this feeling all the time... That something was off, my Meera would not let some arrogant butt-headed bastard tell her what to do, so when I met Sir Leobald over there, I thought it would be best to ride with him."

"And you travelled alone all the way to Hornwood?"

"I had no need of soldiers, I am capable of defending myself lad... Or should I call you 'your grace' even if you are a bastard?"

"Do not call me that sir... I never wanted to be called that..."

"And what do you think will happen when you meet your uncle? You have brought all these people with you, you are aware you will have to pay for their services somehow... How do you plan on doing that without claiming the throne for yourself?"

"I am aware of what I will have to do... I may be bastard but I am not an idiot... They have come because they believe in me, I just hope I will meet their standards."

"Your uncle claims he is the king though... How are you going to manage that?"

"My uncle and I have met before, Lord Reed. Do not worry about it. I will do what is necessary."

"You may need a strong ally..."

"Do you know anyone that may want to ally with a bastard?"

"I may know just the man... In fact we are about to meet him if I am correct... Just wait."

They reached The Wall the next day, when hell had already broken loose... Gendry could hear commands going from one end of the castle to the other. Howland Reed managed to get de masters attention so he would let them in. Ally approached him while the doors opened.

"Gendry, I am going to the woods, we need her."

Gendry did not know what to say or what to do. "Be careful, will you? I need you to help me control this lot."

"Do not worry little brother, I will be with you in a moment."

And just like that she took off to the woods as the doors were finally opened. There was no time to think, they got off their horses and walked through the castle where the battle was on his full splendour.

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Hey guys!

Here is the new chapter! (Yay!)

So I have just realised that I have been spelling Lorath wrong in all my chapters, so sorry about that. Hope you like this chapter and review it.

Also, thank you 909me1 for wishing me luck, I really appreciate it.

Have fun and be nice to one another!

Star:*


	9. CHAPTER 8: ICE AND FIRE

I do not own any of the recognisable character below...

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CHAPTER 8: ICE AND FIRE

News of the Targaryan taking King's Landing surprised all of them, even Melisandre. The ravens said that it all had happened in a fore night, no one expected it. There were no reports of troops around the city, no strange atmosphere in the capital according to Stannis' spies. However, Daenerys and Aegon Targaryan had arrived with three dragons, eight thousand unsullied, the Golden Company and the Dornish troops, and managed to take the capitol within hours.

Dragons... Jon had heard of them, read of them, he knew they had existed, but he never thought they would live... He never imagined the possibility, and suddenly it was very real. Jon could only imagine Stannis' thoughts... They had been at war for years now, and all at once, they had two new competitors on this race to the throne, two new competitors that could fly. All rules changed now, none of the strategies used before were valid, Stannis needed new alliances and he was going to look for some of them within The Wall, Jon was sure of it.

Of course, no one could forget about the Lannisters and their abrupt disappearance. No one had expected the attack, yet Cersei Lannister had gone missing days before it actually happened. What did this mean for the Targaryans? Did they have a spy in their lines? No one was safe in this game of thrones.

Jon thought about what this meant for the realm. The Targaryan would not stop in King's Landing for too long, they could not. None of the high Lords had yet to pledge their loyalty to them, and being honest, no one would when their only conquest was King's Landing, even if it were the capital.

That meant they would start fighting soon... They would start fighting what was closest to them... And that meant...

"They are going to attack my bloody land next!" Satnnis said, entering Jon's privet library, and slamming the door. "Bloody Targaryan children and their bloody dragons... They will attack Dragonstone next... My daughter is there and she is the only heir to the throne, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"You should send a raven, tell her that she has to leave Dragonstone. Command those who run your household to leave with her, and send them all to Stormsend. She will be safer there than in Dragonstone."

"I should go back, return and fight for our home... I should not have to leave my home like that, like a criminal... My poor daughter..."

"Will be fine if you send the raven now. Her handmaidens will take good care of her, and she will be well protected by your men... You shall not worry..."

"All the dragon glass we have there... It will belong to the bloody Targaryans now, and they will not even know what to do with it... This is insane... This cannot be happening..."

"What does Melisandre think about all of this, your grace?"

"She was fucking astonished about the dragons, then she kept talking about how pure they are because they are born from fire..."

Stannis' trend of thought was interrupted by a horn blowing once, then twice. When Jon hear that the horn was being blown the third time he got up from his chair and took off towards the upper levels in The Wall.

There they were, with their humanoid appearance, yet different from humans. They were taller than any human being Jon had ever seen, and had long, wispy white hair. Their skin was pale white too. But their most notable trait were their glowing blue eyes that could be seen from the distance. Jon noticed that the weather was colder now, than it was moments before, and it looked as if a great blizzard was coming towards them. This, Jon thought, was winter.

He could also see something else, people. No, not people, wights; an army of undead wildings. He could see them walking without direction, wobbling, following the commands of 'The Others'.

"Archers ready!" Jon shouted "Aim, fire! Get the dragon glass arrows and swords! I want everybody in formation now!"

Jon noticed how everybody around him hurried up: some started getting their armors on, others said their goodbyes… Jon grabbed Sam's arm and dragged him away from every one.

"If you think we are not going to make it, if the thought crosses your mind, take Gilly and little Sam and run. Take my horse and head south as fast as possible. If we fail and they get to the other side of The Wall, Westeros is lost, so safe yourself."

"But Jon…"

"Do not disobey your Lord Commander now Sam. Do as I say."

With those last words Jon flew down the stairs. He met his fellow brothers near the forge, grabbed a dragon glass sword, and got on the first horse he saw. He looked at the men that were about to go into battle.

"Some of you did not want to be here, but you have seen what is coming our way. If those creatures get passed us they will destroy your lands, your families and everything you love. Let us kill them all! Remember: the wights die with fire and the White Walkers die when stabbed with dragon glass."

Jon heard the doors to the other side of The Wall opening. This time things were different from the last one: they were fighting something worse that wildings, this time, he did not have to watch out for her… This time they had no other choice than winning.

Jon ordered his horse to gallop through the gates. The archers had already managed to burn some wights, so he managed to get a torch, and light it up. Then, he started swinging it as if it were a sword. His horse fell down when one of the White Walkers threw a knife that went through its heart. Jon did not hesitate and burned the agonizing horse. 'It is better than seeing it come back from the death.'

He did not have a lot of time to process what had just happened, because an enormous White Walker was approaching him. Jon drew his dragon glass sword and swang it. His attacker lifted his own sword, blocking Jon's moves over and over again. Jon managed to cut the beast's hand, making it crumble before him.

Jon fought wights and Walkers at the same time, until one of them managed to push him hard enough to make him fall. Before the White Walker could even attempt to kill him, however, it died. Jon searched the snow the creature had left behind to find a dragon glass pointed arrow. 'We do not make this kind of arrows…' When Jon lifted his gaze from his hands, he was surrounded by people. They were not brothers of the Night's Watch, but they were not wildings or wights either.

They were all wearing armor and dark gray capes. Jon did not know who these people were, and even if they were helping them, he did not trust them completely.

"Get up mate! Do you want to freeze your arse?" One of them offered him a hand. He was tall, strong, dark haired and blue eyed, he had a war hammer with him and he held it firmly. His eyes travelled from the ground to the air, giving Jon the impression of being waiting for something.

"Who are you?"

"Would you not prefer leaving the introductions for a time when we are safe and sound inside that bloody castle of yours?"

Jon felt the air around him freeze even more, the blizzard the White Walkers had brought with them had arrived and Jon could see close to nothing.

"Come on Ally…" He heard his new companion say, and even if he did not know what that meant, he did not like the sound of it. Suddenly, the wind around him became so strong and cold Jon thought his brothers would find him frozen the following day.

He did not know how long they were surrounded by all that snow and wind, but he was really thankful when it abruptly stopped. Jon opened his eyes and saw all his brothers and other soldiers standing, looking at each other with no idea of what had just happened.

"Well done…" He heard the man beside him say. When Jon turned his head around, he could not believe his eyes: the White Walkers were gone and the wights were all dead, burned to the ashes.

Jon ordered everybody back to the castle, including the large group of strangers. He would definitely have a word with those men.

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Ally descended the stairs with light steps. She had done a perfect job in the battlefield and she could not be happier with herself. There was of course a tiny detail no one had predicted: arriving unannounced to The Wall had not been the best idea. Right now she could see her brothers and their men standing in the middle of the yard, being interrogated by the Lord Commander Whoever Snow. She could see Davos trying to talk, but every time he got interrupted by someone.

"How do you explain the dead wights?" The Commander asked Lord Reed.

"I cannot explain it… I thought you would have an explanation for it, I could not see with the blizzard."

"How come you have travelled this far Lord Reed?"

"As I have told you before, I was on my way to Winterfell when I met the Steel Company and decided to join them."

"And, how did the Steel Company know we needed help?"

"If I may Lord Commander…" Davos started again.

"They must be followers of the Lord of Light, I told you I had been praying for his help…" Ally could not stand that Red bitch and her talking anymore.

"You would be wise if you heard Sir Davos Lord Commander!" Ally shouted from the first floor of the castle making her presence known. She jumped down and landed on a cart full of straw that was conveniently placed, and walked towards her men. "He sent word to our home in Lorath, he told us about your problems here, and we decided to help. So, here we are."

"Who are you, exactly?" The Red witch asked.

"What a shame… You do not recognize me…" Ally heard her brothers laughing behind her: Gendry had the decency to try to cover his laughter with a cough, while Eddrick laughed out loud.

"You two, on the back!" Stannis said "Why do you not come up here and take your helmets off?"

Ally felt her brothers standing right behind her. She watched Stannis' expression as Eddrick, on her right, took his helmet off first. She was pleased when she saw how shocked Stannis was. 'Just wait for it…' When Gendry took his helmet off the commotion was even bigger. Ally heard a lot of men gasping: "A ghost!" they would say.

Melissandre's face was the best of all. Shocked, scared, even a little embarrassed.

"You…"

"Yes, me… It has been what, seven years since you tried to burn me alive? I suppose time goes by for all of us, it has certainly gone by for you…"

"Gendry…" Ally interceded. "Do not make fun of the old man, he is after all a king now."

"You are right little sister. Enough of this nonsense, we have travelled a long way to offer our services. These men, are the Steel Company, as Lord Reed has said, and they are here to help you protect The Wall. However, they will not become members of the Watch, we plan on leaving as soon as the situation is back to normal. You understand us, do you not, Lord Commander?"

"We will take all the help you can offer. Sam, escort them to their chambers."

The group followed a chubby man through the castle, the three siblings, however, stayed in the yard.

"My Lord, my brother and I would really appreciate if our sister could stay in another part of the castle… Somewhere where there are not that many men, perhaps? We will accept any accommodations you offer but…" Gendry said.

"Of course, I have sisters of my own and believe me, I would not let them stay anywhere near all those men."

"You know I am right here, and that I am totally capable of defending myself, right?"

"We know little sister, but that does not change anything."

Gendry and Jon had just started a deep conversation when Ally realized Davos had approached her. He looked older than the last time she had seen him, but the smile on his lips had not changed. Ally went over the few steps that separated them and hugged the man that had saved her and her brothers lives.

"It is so good to see you my girl. Look at you, you look like a lady now, so grown up. I am glad you found him, I am glad you found them… I trust everything is alright? Is she alright?" Davos said that last sentence whispering.

"Yes Davos, everything is perfect, and she is perfectly fine."

She took a moment to look towards Stannis. The man looked slightly like Eddrick, but they were completely different at the same time. He looked older than what he was supposed to, and he had a blank look in his eyes… Like if he did not really focus his gaze… Ally had learned to recognize the changes in a person when they were under the control of magic, and her uncle Stannis was definitely under some kind of spell. Ally felt disgusted: whenever the red with moved, Stannis would readjust his position; whenever she looked somewhere, Stannis would look in that direction. Davos had told her the witch had influence on Stannis, but this was just ridiculous, how on did they not realize?

She walked towards Gendry and Jon carefully, not trusting that woman, she had tried to burn him once, what would stop her from trying to do so again?

"Excuse me, I do not wish to interrupt your conversation" Ally started. "Lord Commander, I have thought about my brothers' request, and I find that he is right about the sleeping arrangements."

"You do?" Eddrick asked.

"Yes, Eddrick, I do. However, I would feel ten times safer if my brothers' chambers were located next to mine." Ally sweetly smiled at the end of the sentence, knowing that she would get what she wanted that way. Davos chuckled behind her and Ed and Gen looked at her suspiciously.

"I completely understand my lady" Snow said. "I will have someone prepare your brothers and you three chambers near my own, that way, I will assure you are not assaulted by anyone."

An old maester approached the group after a few minutes. He inquires about the fire that had killed the wights. He had been standing on the edge of The Wall when the blizzard had made it impossible to see, and, as all the fires around them had extinguished around them, he could not explain how the wights had appeared dead.

"Not all fires extinguish with wind or water maester Aemon, The Lord of Light can keep his fire burning even in the darkest times. I am sure it was the only true God, which helped us in our quest."

"With all due respect, my lady, I do not believe that would be right. I have only read about one kind of fire that can light in any circumstances…"

"How dare you! The Lord of Light controls the flames, The Lord of Light can see whatever he wants to see… The Lord of Light chose your king as his successor, he chose Stannis Baratheon for the greatest destinies of all… How dare you doubt that he helped us, leaded us to victory today?"

"My lady I do not wish to insult you or your beliefs, but we cannot only base our lives on them… Whatever happened out there destroyed an army of wights and scared the White Walkers away, this is too important to look aside…"

"The Lord of Light helped us today, there is no other explanation for it. We would have died if he had decided to 'look aside', we owe him respect. Do you know what I saw yesterday in the fire? Us, dead. The White Walkers freezing our lands as they walked to the other side of The Wall. So I prayed, I prayed so that he would spare us all, even you maester, so you should thank him."

"How do you plan on thanking him, offering him a crunchy bastard for lunch?" Eddrick mumbled. Gendry sent a murderous look on his direction before looking ahead again.

"Do not worry little brother," Ally whispered on Gendry's ear "I will protect you".

Melissandre talked about her visions nonstop for at least fifteen minutes, and Ally realized she just wanted to bore them all to death. The fourth time she started her speech about the Lord of Light Ally interrupted her.

"So, you say that you can see things in the fire, things that are yet to happen?"

"Yes, my child"

"Can you see whatever you want in the fires, my lady?"

"As long as The Lord of Light wants me to see it…"

"So, hypothetically talking, do you think you would be able to see your own death in the fires?"

"Ally…"

"I do not know my child, if the Lord of Light thought it necessary…"

"Can you watch anything in any kind of fire? I mean, I once read an old book written by a wise maester from Oldtown, he said that the Sun was a big ball of fire, so would you be able to see anything if you looked towards the sun?"

"Ally…"

"That girl is crazy Snow! Do something!"

"It is funny you know, how you tried to burn my brother alive, and yet you were not able to see Davos freeing him before it happened… Maybe if you had just looked towards the sun…"

Melisandre looked towards the sun, even though a great shadow had just appeared before it… Melisandre knew what was coming before anyone else, she enjoyed sacrificing people to the flames, well, that was about to change for her. Ally had told Gendry once that she would protect her family to the end of time, and she knew that her family would not be safe until that red woman no longer existed. That is why she took care of that problem with one last word…

"Dracarys."

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Dum dum dum…

Hello everybody!

Hope you liked it!

Thank you to each and every one of you who followed and favourited my story, you are awesome. I have a huge exam on Wednesday so I will not update until Friday or later…

Be your usual awesome selves and review or PM!

Be kind to one another!

Star :*


	10. CHAPTER 9: HIDDEN

CHAPTER 9: HIDDEN

Jon walked through the corridors with a torch in his hand. They had all had a crazy day: the attack, the arrival of the Steel Company, the dragon... Jon could still not believe it. Dragons existed and his new "allies" had one following their commands. Well, not their commands, but her commands... Jon was about to reach the cell when he saw Ghost lain in front of it.

"Your direwolf has been keeping company Lord Snow, was it your idea?" the girl asked. Jon opened the cell door and got in. Ghost followed close behind and sat beside her, touching her check with his nose, whimpering like a puppy until she started caressing his fur. "How is everything upstairs?"

"Your brothers look restless... Your uncle Stannis is unconscious and I suppose you will be happy to know that the masters could do nothing to help the lady Melisandre."

"Oh, come on Snow! Someone had to do it... She was driving Stannis insane and you know it. I live in the free cities, in a place where people play with magic... I know when a person is under the effects of a spell... You should thank me instead of keeping me inside this cell."

"Should you not be more careful with your words? After all, I could order for you to be executed tomorrow at noon."

"You could, but you will not."

"And why is that?"

"Because you need me. You need to make more dragon glass, and in order to do that you need my dragon, which you do not know where is hidden. You could always use other ways to make me tell you... but taking the number of men that have visited me offering a way out of the castle... I believe it will be better for all of us if we avoid a mutiny, do you not?"

"Tell me, where is the dragon?"

"Hidden."

"Where?"

"Do you really think I will tell you? I thought you were smarter than that."

"I thought you were the nicest one, at least, that is what Davos has told me..."

"Do you really think you will win me over with cheap flattery? You should learn more from this white cutie." She said scratching Ghost behind his ears. The wolf was a goner. He was lying on his back, so she could scratch his stomach, with his mouth slightly opened and his tongue sticking out... Jon had never seen his pet like that...

"How come you have a dragon anyway? I thought the Targaryan girl was the only one that had been able to bring them back from the death."

"I was lucky to have a library full of books back in Lorath..."Jon lifted one of his eyebrows when Alara said that. "Alright... I found her egg in the house when I was ten, I think. I took it with me and searched the library until I found a journal where I found most of the information I needed."

"How did that egg end in your home?"

"It was a gift to one of my ancestors. She was a mistress to one of the Targaryan kings, and he gave it to her because he thought it was dead. Later she found the old journal in the Red Keep and took it with her, I suppose."

Jon searched her face looking for lies, but he did not find any. She was still wearing her brown leather boots and breaches. She was wrapped in a black cloak that had golden designs all over it. Jon could see the sleeves of a blue shirt underneath it. His grey eyes got lost in her violet ones as soon as their gazes locked.

They heard someone walking in their direction, and Jon shook his head. He was surprised when he saw Stannis turn the corner.

"Lord Commander" He said. "I believe you should let the girl go... I have something to discuss when my nephews return."

Jon approached Alara and released her from her handcuffs, before helping her get up from the floor and asking her to accompany him to her new chambers. Once they reached her new accommodations she sat close to the fire with Ghost by her side.

"Where are y brothers?"

"They left as soon as my men escorted you to the cells... They wanted to look for the dragon..." The king said.

"Those two idiots... They will never find her... Please tell me they left with someone that knows the woods."

"I am sure they will be back soon, my lady."Jon interceded. "How are you feeling your grace?"

"I am feeling quite well, actually, I feel incredibly awake, like if I had been asleep for a very long time... I see everything clearly now, that is why I need to talk to my niece and nephews..." Jon smiled when he saw the 'I told you so' look on Alara's face, he could not help it. There was a knock on the door and Gendry and Eddrick ran towards their sister.

"We could not find her... for an animal that is so damn big, she sure knows how to hide..." Eddrick said.

Stannis cleared his throat before he started talking again.

"I believe I need to apologize to you Gendry, I honestly do not know what I was thinking when I accepted to the lady Melisandre's request. I am glad Davos disobeyed my orders and freed you, and I am happy you found your siblings. Now, I know that may not mean a lot for you... That is why I have decided that, if you wish, I will have you all legitimized."

"That is a very generous offer, your grace." Gendry said. "I do not know what to say..."

"Say yes, and you three will have a name of your own..."

"Gendry Baratheon... It does have a ring to it little brother." Alara said.

"Think about it. Now I will leave you four, I must rest." The king said leaving the chambers.

"I need to talk to you Lady Alara." Jon said. "As you said before we are running out of dragon glass... I would pardon both you and your dragon if you would help us."

"We should first look for her, do you not think?" And just like that the Lady Alara stood up, uncloaked her brother Eddrick, put the cloak on her shoulders and left the room. Gendry looked towards him with a bemused expression on his face.

"You should follow her Lord Commander, she does not wait for anyone."

So Jon left the room and ran the few meters that separated Alara and him. They walked down the stairs until they got to the yard. Jon noticed that every time they crossed paths with a member of the Steel Company they would bow to their lady. They walked until they reached the doors, where Jon asked for them to be lift up. What surprised him, however, was that they were walking out the southern gates of The Wall, which meant that the dragon was nowhere near where they thought it would be. He followed Alara to the woods where she called out for her dragon.

"Āeksion!"

Jon felt the wind around him and, before he had had time to react, the dragon stood before him. Jon could not believe his eyes. She was big, extremely big, at least as tall as a two floor house, when she had her head held high. Her scales were golden and reflected the sun rays. Alara approached her and the dragon lowered its head so she could pet it. She had two twisted horns that came out of the top of her head and bright topaz coloured eyes. Alara looked his way and signalled for him to get closer.

"She will not bite, I promise." She said. "Would you like to go for a ride?"

Jon walked the few steps that separated him from the beast, and climb up to its back behind Alara. When Āeksion straightened up, however, he almost changed his mind.

"Hold on tight!" Alara said. "sōvegon"

Jon decided he had made a bad choice when the dragon started beating its enormous wings. How had he missed them before? He held Alara's waist when he almost lost his balance and fell down. If he was not sure before, he was now... That woman would be the death of him. He could feel her laugh in front of him, but once Āeksion's flight turned smooth Jon was able to enjoy the ride. Alara directed its movements with a gentle voice, and Jon saw The Wall with new eyes after their ride.

It could have been hours before the three of them landed on the front yard of Castle Black. Alara asked if her dragon could stay in the dungeons, surrounded by small fires to keep her warm. Jon was headed to his own chambers when Howland Reed stopped him.

"You looked comfortable riding that dragon, son."

"Believe me, it is not as easy as it looks like."

"Did you father ever talk to you about your mother?"

"No, my Lord, he did not."

"Well, I believe it is about time…"

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Hey guys!

I know this chapter is shorter than the other ones, but I promised I would update this week so… I will probably start working on the next chapter tonight so I'll update on Wednesday or Thursday.

I don't want to be annoying… But I don't really get any feedback from you guys and I don't know if I'm doing things right… So if you would share your thoughts from time to time it would be awesome…

Thanks for everyone who followed and favorited the story this week, you are all great!

Be kind to one another!

Star :*


	11. CHAPTER 10: TURNING POINT

I do not own any of the recognisable characters below...

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CHAPTER 10: TURNING POINT

He had never felt so nervous, not even when the Hand of the King had visited him in King's Landing. Stannis was standing in front of the fireplace with a drink in his hand, deep in thought. He had summoned Gendry and Eddrick to his privet chambers at dawn, when Ally and Jon had left to read some books about the process of making dragon glass.

"Gendry, you realise that the moment I legitimize you, you will become heir to the Iron throne and I will no longer have any claim to it. I am ready to support you in your battles, but you have to understand that my daughter Shireen is a priority to me. That is why, I am going to ask you to protect her. As you know, my daughter is going to travel to Storm's End in a few days; however, I believe she would be safer if someone that I deeply trust were to protect her."

"Do you want me to leave The Wall and travel Storm's End? I came on a mission, I cannot leave my sister and my brother here alone!"

"You will not leave them alone, I will good care of them. Sign your legitimization letter, and start packing for your journey. In three months time, your siblings and I will visit you, and if everything is alright, I will support your claim to the throne."

"What will Ally and I do while Gendry keeps Shireen safe?" Ed asked.

"Your sister will stay here with her dragon, they are both needed to make dragon glass. You, on the other hand, will stay here with me: learning strategy, how to command troops... Gendry will have to learn too but, he can do that with the masters in Stormsend."

"Your grace, I do not intent to offend you but, why?"

"Your brother will need a Hand once he is king, I thought he could learn from your father's mistakes and give you that task, before asking some stranger... What? You assumed I would want that position for myself? Well, you are mistaken, I intent to take the black once everything is taken care of."

That last statement stunned both brothers. Gendry took the piece of parchment that legitimized him in his hand and started reading it. Everything Stannis had told him was there, every single detail. He knew they would not sign without talking with Ally first, but that was a very good offer. Someone knocked the door and Lord Reed and Jon Snow entered Stannis' chambers.

"I believe we have something to offer you, do we not boy?" Lord Reed said. Jon looked rather pale. "Your grace, Jon would like to be legitimized."

"Why does he not say so then?"

"I... I... I would like to be legitimized."

"Excelent! Lord Reed, you told us you had an offer for us?"

"Yes, your grace. See... The north has belonged to the Starks since it was first occupied..."

"Let me Lord Reed." Jon said. "Your grace, I would like to claim the North. In order to do so, however, I need you to release me from my vows."

"I will do so. I believe that you should ally my nephew, Lord Stark."

"If Gendry and I become allies, he shall give up any claim he may have to The North, and my land will be considered an independent kingdom. I am sure that the northerners will support me, anything to get rid of those Boltons..."

"Good, I will send word to my banner men, prepare for a long and tough journey..."

"Words are not enough..." Lord Reed said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Ed asked.

"Your word that you will not attack our lands or the other way around is not enough... We need something stronger to keep the alliance alive..."

"Such as?" Gendry asked... For some reason he did not like where that was going...

"A marriage, two if possible: Gendry should marry a Stark girl or a lady from the North and Jon shall marry the lady Alara..."

"Gendry we cannot decide if Ally is not here..." Ed said concerned.

"We will not agree if our sister does not want to marry him."

"Gendry! This is serious! It is not about Alara or her feelings anymore! We are talking about two countries!"

"Yes, uncle, have you started thinking on my wedding? Who shall be my bride? NO ONE has seen Arya since the Lannisters executed Ned Stark and Sansa has been missing since the purple wedding! Do you not have something to say about the matter Jon? It is your life too!"

"I will do whatever is best for my country... You should do the same Gendry..."

"At least someone starts thinking!" Stannis exclaimed.

"Brilliant... bloody brilliant..."

"You tell her Gendry, you are the eldest one" Eddrick said... Gendry swore he would have murdered him then.

"Oh! Yes, perfect! Let me do it... Hello Ally... How are you this fine morning? Did I tell you that you are going to marry Jon Snow, now Stark, former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, so that I can secure my alliance with him?"

"WHO GAVE YOU THE PERMISSION TO SELL ME TO THE FIRST MAN YOU MEET? I AM NOT A HORSE YOU ALL CAN BARGAIN WITH!"

Gendry remembered why Arya used to call him stupid that moment. He ran after Ally when she left Stannis' chambers like a tornado and followed her until she reached Āeksion's dungeon. Gendry was surprised when he saw his sister between Ghost and her dragon.

"Go away Gendry, I do not want to see you."

"You do know this was not my idea right? Howland Reed thinks that we will not respect our boundaries if we do not seal our alliance by marriage."

"Which are the terms?"

"I suppose we will have to help him conquer the North and get rid of the Boltons, nourishment from the Reach if the Tyrells bend the knee..."

"And what do we get in return? Snowballs to defend ourselves?"

"Men I suppose, ships, money... Good relations? I do not know... I have never been the diplomatic one, Ally... You were the one that scared the hell out of everyone in Lorath when you got angry with someone... I cannot do this without you."

"Do you believe I will be useful while I am thousands of miles away freezing to death?"

"You know we need to pay the Steel Company somehow... If we have connections in the North it would be easier for them to live in Westeros again. It is your decision little sister..." Gendry stood up and walked some steps to leave the dungeon before de added one last sentence. "At least he is not as bad looking as that half blind portrait artist in Lorath..."

When Gendry returned to Stannis' chambers, and found everybody looking restless. He sat down by the table and stretched his legs. Stannis was about to speak when the door opened suddenly.

"You are not discussing the terms of an alliance that will leave me trapped in the cold forever without me. You two idiots would sign anything... The South will provide nourishment for the North during winter, men for The Wall as it always has, a bride for the King in the North and promises not to attack the borders. In return, The North will give us hides, timber, a bride for my brother and a promise not to attack the borders. Furthermore, every two generations a member from the reigning family in the North shall marry a lord or lady from the south, and the other way around; that way, we shall ensure that we do not attack one another, for the sake of our families."

"That is actually very well though, Lady Alara." Howland Reed said. "We assume you accept our proposal then?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well done." Stannis said. "Gendry, you will be leaving for Storm's End in two days. Sir Davos will accompany you on your journey by sea... That way you will avoid the Twins, and the journey will be shorter. I reckon you expect the arrival of some ships?"

"Yes, uncle: 400 men and 50 vaults full of weapons and dragon glass." Ed interceded.

"Nice, you shall take 100 of those men and as many weapons as you like, and sail to Stormsend immediately. Your siblings and I will see you three months after your arrival."

"Let us toast" Lord Reed said. "To our new alliance!"

Gendry noticed that Jon sat before the fireplace, with his legitimization letter in the hand, reading it over and over again. Gendry walked towards his new ally while Stannis and Lord Reed cheered and Eddrick talked to their sister in a hushed tone.

"Hey" He said. "I promise my sister is not as bad as she seems... She just has a hard exterior..."

"Do not be offended Gendry, but your sister is not what concernes me. This alliance... I know that the Northerners will follow me, because I am the last living person that has Stark blood... However, if what Lord Reed told me yesterday afternoon is true... I am not Jon Stark... I am Jon Targaryan...

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She would never get use to getting up earlier than anyone else. She hated it. She walked through the castle until she reached Shireen's chambers and knocked gently. She entered the room in spite of not being invited in, and proceeded to open the curtains and window. Then, she gently shook the young lady so she would wake up.

"Shireen... Wake up... Your father sent word... The maester says it is important..."

"Did you read it" Shireen asked still half asleep.

"Why would I? The maester said you had to read it."

Arya fetched Shireen's breakfast while her friend read her father's letter. When she got back, she found Shireen looking as pale as a ghost.

"What is wrong my lady?"

"The... The Red witch... is dead. She died in a fire related incident... My father does not explain more... He also says that we need to leave for Storm's End tomorrow at dawn, he believes that now that the Targaryans have taken King's Landing back, they will attack Dragonstone... Have you ever been there?"

"Where? King's Landing?"

"No, Storm's End... They say it is surrounded by a massive outer curtain wall, one hundred feet high and forty feet thick on its thinnest side and nearly eighty feet thick on its seaward side. That it is composed of a double course of stones with an inner core of sand and rubble. That the wall is smooth and curving, the stones so well placed and so perfectly together that the wind can find no purchase. That on the seaward side, there is a 150-foot drop below the wall into the sea."

"How do you know that if you have never been there?"

"Because I read… Anyway, I read that the castle itself consists of one huge drum tower crowned with formidable battlements, so that from a distance enemies can see what appears to be a single huge, spiked fist thrusting towards the sky in defiance. The tower is believed to be so large that it comfortably contains the granary, barracks, armoury, feast hall and lord's chambers all at once. They say there are spells woven into the stonework. The seaward side of the castle stands upon a high white cliffs overlooking the sea, and there is a barred, watery passage through a cavern that leads beneath the castle. Do you not think it is exciting?"

"I assume we will be leaving for Storm's End then? I will start packing, my lady."

Arya opened a large vault and, after dusting it, she started filling it with clothes.

"Oh…" Shireen said. "My father has decided to withdraw his claim to the Iron Throne… He found my cousins… Three of them! So he will support their claim instead."

"Are you upset my lady?"

"Upset? I am incredibly happy! I must thank my cousin when we meet him!"

"Will he be staying with us?"

"That is what my father says… Do not worry Arry, I am sure you two will get along…"

Arya was exhausted after packing all of Shireens belongings that day, she needed to escape, to feel free again. That is why she borrowed a horse from the stables and galloped through the darkened fields of Dragonstone. She loved the way she felt when she was riding her horse: the wind in her face, the sky moving above her, the steady strides beneath her…That feeling she got when at least she could control something happening in her life.

That had never been the plan… Her plan had been easy: get back to Westeros, kill everyone that betrayed her family and live happily ever after in a lonely cabin somewhere in The North. Instead, she had spent months serving Shireen Baratheon.

She could try to fool herself saying that she had had no choice to leave, that she had not had the chance to sail away from that damn island; but deep down, she knew that was not true. She could not let go of the little lady, they were the only ones left for one another: Arya had no family, no name and poor sweet Shireen had not seen her father for years and had an unstable mother…

She could not leave her now… Not when her life was going to change so much. Maybe, if her cousin were nice… Maybe then she could leave Shireen behind and put her plan in motion again.

Arya got off her horse and laid down on the grass… She was trying to decide if a cloud looked like a bunny when she fell asleep. When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in Dragonstone.

She could feel the dirt beneath her paws and smell blood in the air. She walked through the trees until she found ten men, hanging from the branches of several oak trees. That was not the first time she had seen that same scenery… The number of hung people had increased the last couple of months, and Arya could feel that made Nymeria nervous.

She ordered her pack to duck and hide when she heard a large group of people approaching. And then she saw him, that man again… He led the group of men riding a great black horse. She did not mean to step on that fallen branch, but as soon as it cracked the man started turning his head.

Arya felt something wet in her face, and opened her eyes to a gloomy sky. She cursed again… For some reason Nymeria was always near that mysterious man, but she always woke up from her dreams before finding out who he was.

She went back to the castle to catch a good night's sleep, but it was still too early when they woke her up the next day. She got on the ship with an upset Shireen. Apparently, her mother had decided to stay in Dragonstone… 'Completely nuts'… Arya thought.

They arrived in Storm's End some days later. Arya had to admit it was far more pleasing than Dragonstone. According to Shireen her cousin would arrive a couple of weeks later, with 100 men to protect them. So Arya and Shireen waited every day in a terrace by the sea, until one day, they saw a strange ship put in.

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Hello guys!

Thanks for all the follows, favourites and reviews, you are all great.

This is chapter 10... Hope you liked it. As you see, I'm going with the Jon Targaryan theory, because I truly believe it is the one that makes most sense. Also, I plan to add a new character for the next chapter... And I do not think you will expect this one...

I did write the conversation that Howland Reed has with Jon about his parents, but I usually plan what I am going to write on each chapter, and I did not really know how that conversation would make sense in a Gendry POV. Soooooooooo I enclosed it after the AN... I hope you like it .

I would like to update on Saturday or Sunday... However, I am going to be home next week so I make no promises.

Review or PM if you need anything!

Be kind to one another!

PS: **Katarina**, thanks for your review! It means a lot when you guys write something! ;)

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"How much did your father tell you about your mother?" Lord Reed asked him.

"Nothing… He said he would tell me about her the next time we saw each other… But we never had the chance."

"I was there the day you were born… I accompanied Ned when he went searching for your mother… What a fateful day… So many deaths… You need to understand lad, that no one was safe those days, you could be someone's favorite person one day, and that same person could hate you the next one. Eddard Stark, however, he always wanted to give your best chance."

"Is my mother dead?

"She was covered in blood when we arrived. She was holding you as if her life depended on it, the midwifes did not know what to do… I had never seen Ned looking so pale... He walked to the bed and kneeled beside her. 'Look at him Ned' she said 'he looks just like you, dark hair and grey eyes, just like father, just like his uncles'. It was heart breaking... 'You have to take care of him... Promise me Ned, promise me...' Those words still haunt me in my dreams..."

"What do you mean?"

"You do have Stark blood Jon, but your father was not a wolf... Your mother was. You are the son of Lyanna Stark..."

"Lyanna? The same Lyanna that was kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryan?"

"No, the Lyanna that ran away with Rhaegar Targaryan. You are their child, you were named after Jon Connington..."

"So, they lied to me... Every single one of them lied to me... I grew up thinking that I was a bastard when actually I had a better claim to the Throne than Stannis... Brilliant! My whole life is a lie... The man I thought that was my father, is not my father... Half of Westeros thinks that my real father is a kidnaper, a rapper, and a murderer..."

"AT LEAST YOU ARE ALIVE! Do you not remember what Robert Baratheon did to your sister Rhaenys and your brother Aegon? Even if the boy did not turn out to be Aegon at the end of the day, he did not care when he massacred those infants. Do you think you would have been different? You should be happy your father put his life at risk so you could have a happy childhood in Winterfell."

"What should I do?"

"Accept Stannis' offer, ask him to free you from your vows... Call the banners and take back what is yours..."

"I do not want The South... My home has always been The North."

"Then, join the Baratheons, make a deal: you take the North, let them have the South... It will work Jon... The northerners want the Boltons away as much as you do, and, believe me, if you get the chance to use that dragon... The North will be yours in no time."

"Let me think about it... I need to..."

"Yes lad, of course, take all the time you need."


	12. CHAPTER 11: DOORS

I do not own any of the recognizable characters in this story...

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CHAPTER 11: DOORS

Days had gone by since she left everything behind. She had travelled away from the hell that had imprisoned her for years before everything actually started burning, and now she could only think of running farther.

She had made sacrifices all her life, but nothing prepared her for what had happened some days before. Leaving the city like a criminal was never the plan, and neither was leaving her youngest son with that kind woman. Her family had gone from bad to worse since The Purple Wedding, and the Targaryans arriving to King's Landing did not make things better. Her children were scattered through Westeros: Myrcella was hidden somewhere in Dorne and Tommen was supposed to be on his way to serving the new lord of some castle in the Stormlands.

Tyrion had once told her that her love for her children was her only redeeming quality, 'that, and your cheekbones', and she had made sure that her two living children were as save as they could be. She, on the other hand, was alone.

She spent half her life pushing people away, until one day, not even Jaime could look her way without hatred in his eyes. She could not blame him, she would not blame him, she had done plenty of wrong during her years as queen, but, as the night wore on, she had been another victim of The Game of Thrones. True, she had known how to play the game -or so she thought-, but she had not accomplished anything apart from some deaths and misery for a lot of people.

That was her eighth night in Fawnton, but almost a month had gone by since the Targaryan attack. She knew they were looking for them, she knew they would not stop until they gathered all the Lannister pups in the Throne room. She only hoped her little Myrcella was alright with the enemy. She knew Tommen would never be alright again, watching his home town had been too much for him... The last time she saw him he could not focus on anything.

A million thoughts ran through her head at the speed of light, every bad thing she had done all those years was coming back to torment her that instant: poisoning her husband, sleeping with her brother, almost killing her other brother, not stopping Jeoffrey when she had the chance, letting her father dictate every step she took...

She heard the Targaryan soldiers pounding on the door again. She knew that they would get in the small shack eventually, and the gods knew what they would do to her when that happened... Just like that, the door opened.

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She was sprawled on her bed while her future husband's pet lay on the floor beside her. He was watching her, judging her...

"What are you looking at?" She asked, but the direwolf just looked away. She was just about to start talking to Ghost again when she heard a shy knock on her door. She was surprised when she saw a child waiting for her with a bright smile on her face. 'This must be the little Sam...'

"Hello!" He said. "I want play with Ghost!" Ally smiled and let the little boy in. He ran towards the wolf and started playing with him right away. She sat down by the fireplace and watched them for what it could have been hours. She missed Andry... She missed his spirited will and stubbornness; she missed the focused look on his face when he played the piano, and the bored look when he attended lessons with his proffesors...

Ally had lost track of time when someone else knocked on the door.

"Come in!" She said, and the wilding woman she had seen walking around the castle entered.

"I'm so very sorry m'lady, but I couldn't find my son... I'm sorry if he bothered you, it won't happen again..."

"What is your name sweet girl?"

"Gilly... M'lady."

"How do the men treat you Gilly? Are they kind to you?"

"Some whisper when I walk by, but I'm used to it... They also whisper when the little Sam is near them, and I think they make fun of Samwell when Lord Jon can't hear them..."

"I have a proposition for you... My uncle Stannis believes that a lady in my position should have someone to help her... There is not much I am allowed to do besides visit my dragon and reading, but I could use some company... Would you like to accompany me, Gilly?"

"You mean like a fancy handmaiden?"

"Yes..." Ally giggled "The little Sam could stay with us, and you would be able to watch him all the time, would you like that?"

"Yes, m'lady, I'd like that! Thank you!" Suddenly the girl shut up "M'lady... I... I know that I shouldn't say anything but... but Sam told me that you're going to marry Lord Jon... and... and he's been really upset this past few days... I was thinking that, maybe you could talk to him?"

Ally had noticed too... The way he looked lost suddenly... If Stannis had been there, he would have been furious that a servant girl, a wilding, had dared talk like that to the king's niece; fortunately, Ally was different.

"Do you know where he is?"

A few minutes later Ally found herself walking up the stairs and Gilly's directions. She had noticed how the men in the castle looked at her, not in a hungry lusty way, but a thankful one. She would have to ask Gendry about that when they met for supper. Alara found her fiancé sitting in a dark corner of The Wall, looking towards the land beyond it.

She heard him talking to himself before he noticed she had arrived.

"I do not know who I am anymore..." he said.

"That is bullshit"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Jon... I do not know you, but something as simple as who your birth father is does not change who you are... Your name does not change the man you have become... We all know that Rhaegar Targaryan is not really your father, you may be his seed, but it takes more than that to be a father." She said while she sat down beside him.

"I just... I grew up thinking I was a true northerner: my looks, my personality... And now, it turns out I am not that much of a northerner..."

"Have you met yourself? You could not be more from the north if you tried." She said, managing to make something close to a smirk on his face. "They say that Eddard Stark was an honourable man... And if you are so much alike as every living soul says, then you cannot be a bad person."

"You seemed to think otherwise two days ago... I have not seen you since we agreed on our alliance, even your brothers say you have been distant. Does it really displease you so much? I know I am not much, but I did not think I had the power to make a woman so... moody." 'At least he is joking' Ally thought.

"Well, a woman has the right to be moody from time to time; once a month actually."

"Do you not think it funny? We are to be married and the only things I know about you are that you have a dragon, you do not hesitate to make anyone who wronged your family pay and my direwolf spends more time with you than he does with me..."

"Well... the only things I know about you are that... I actually do not know anything about you except the obvious..."

"Ha-ha..."

"What was it like? Being out there?"

"Different."

"Different?"

"Different. I will tell you one day... It is getting late."

"I asked Gilly if she would like to be my handmaiden... if that is alright with you... Stannis insists I need one, and I figured that my chambers would be safer for her and Sammy than the other side of the castle" She said on their way back.

"That is alright, do not worry..."

Ally could still feel Jon's mind was elsewhere when they stopped in front of her chambers.

"Jon, it is not that important. No one will care if you are half a Stark, you are still better than a Bolton."

"How do you do that? How do you guess what I am thinking?"

"You are not that hard to read... Do not worry... we will make our move as soon as our army is ready, and we will take your home back."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Have you been down in the dungeons lately? Rumour has it there is a huge dragon that breathes fire there... Have a good night Jon; and come find my brothers or I if you want to share beautiful stories of dysfunctional families and father drama."

She could have sworn she heard him chuckle as she closed the door.

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She woke up alone again. Her beloved husband had woken up before her again, and left her to break her fast by herself. She had been oversleeping for the past few days and, as someone who had already experienced the changes pregnancy caused on a woman, she recognised her tiredness as one of them.

Her dreams, however, were crushed when she lost her bed covers and found that her mattress was dirty with blood, her blood, her moon blood. She had been so sure that she was pregnant...

Daenerys realised that would not be a good day for her. She called her handmaidens in to clean up the mess in the bed, and got in the bath tub, so she could ready herself for the day.

She found Aegon an hour later, sitting down in the garden were he could keep an eye on the dragons. She smiled even if she did not like the company he was in. Margaery Tyrell was laughing at something Aegon had just said, and that made her blood boil... He stood up as soon as he saw her walking their way, and greeted her with a soft kiss.

"You remember the lady Margaery, do you not my dear?"

"Of course I do, how could I not?"

"It is a pleasure to be here to break my fast with you, your grace." The pretty brunette said politely.

"Aegon, darling, do we have any news on the lady Margaery's husband? Have our men found Cersei Lannister yet?"

"Not yet my dear, but I am sure we will have news from them soon."

"I bet you will be eager to see your husband again, right lady Margaery?"

"Tommen is a very sweet boy, your grace, I only wish he is safe, wherever he might be. What do you plan on doing next, your grace?"

"Well, Dragonstone would be the next obvious target, but maybe we should aim for Storm's End or Gulltown in the Vale of Arryn..." Aegon explained.

"Darling, I do not think strategy is something to be discussed as we break our fast, let me enjoy my morning tea before we start talking about work..."

Dany noticed Jon Connington walking their before anyone else did, and she touched her husband's arm so that he could talk to his second in command. Dany and Margaery fell silent as soon as Aegon left.

"It is such a pity..." Dany said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I was just thinking about your husbands, they all tend to die or disappear. You have always wanted a crown on your head...It is so bad you will never wear one..."

"I do not understand your majesty... Have I displeased you in any way? The king..."

"The king is a man... And the whole court knows how you manage to get what you want from those. Do not be offended, it is a skill that has been used since the first men arrived in Westeros... Nevertheless, women of fine lineage do not tend to use that kind of... how could we call them? Assets? Yes, they do not tend to use that kind of assets. I know what you are trying to get from my husband, but it will not work. You will pack your things and leave for Highgarden tomorrow at dawn, and you will not come back to the capital, are we clear?"

"Yes, your grace."

"Lady Margaery" Aegon said when he returned. "I need to sort a little setback with my wife..."

Aegon took her hand and walked with her through the Red Keep until they reached one of the highest balconies in the building. Dany could see smoke coming out of a building...

"Dany..." he said. "Drogon is out of control... He destroyed a dozen of ships last night, just for the hell of it, and he has been terrorizing the people of King's Landing, our people, since we arrived. Can you see that large column of smoke? That used to be an orphanage... he burned it to ashes this morning..."

"And the children? Aegon are the children alright?"

"Some survived... Dany we cannot let that happen again... I know your dragons are young, and they are having some kind of rebellious phase, but we cannot risk our people..."

"I know... I know... I just do not know what to do about them..."

"I have an idea... but you will not like it... We could lock them in the dungeons, for some time... until we figure out how to control them..."

"Do you really think that is the best idea?"

Dany accepted Aegon's offer, but that did not mean she liked it. She guided her three dragons through the dungeons in the Red Keep talking softly in High Valirian. She could feel Drogon hesitate in every corner, she could see he did not like where she was taking them, and of course hell broke loose when he realised she was going to lock them.

Drogon started growling, lashing anything and anyone that dared move close to him, and breathing fire in all directions. Most of the soldiers were hurt by the time they managed to shackle the dragon to the wall. Aegon and her had decided that the three dragons would be tied up, but free to walk in the dungeon.

Daenerys regretted that decision the moment she saw Drogon open his enormous mouth and try to make Aegon his midday snack. She screamed, he got away just in time, and Jon Connington commanded everyone to leave the place. Suddenly there were guards everywhere, some helping Aegon up and guiding him out of the place, some trying to keep the dragons away, some ushering her out...

The world around her started spinning, and without a warning all the events of that day became too much. She felt light, she stopped noticing her surroundings, she stopped seeing everything around her, and she felt her knees cave in. The last thing she heard was a door closing behind her.

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Hello guys!

I know it's been long but this last week has been kind of crazy for me and I didn't want to update another short chapter.

We've had 3 girls on this chapter: Cersei, Ally and Dany. It has been a tough one to write, because I didn't really know how to write the Cersei part, or how much of King's Landing I wanted to show. Anyway, I think we are going to leave King's Landing be for some time, because I think that the storylines on The Wall are more interesting right now, and this is a Gendry/Arya/Jon/OC story so...

Next chapter will be Eddrick and Gendry and his arrival to Storm's End, and I'll try to update by Sunday night or Monday morning (Spanish time) depending on the work I have to do and all that jazz...

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED, FOLLOWED AND FAVOURITED THE STORY THIS WEEK, I'LL WRITE SOON, I PROMISE.

As always, review or PM if you want to know anything or have any doubts

Be kind to one another!

Star :*


	13. CHAPTER 12: TWINS

I do not own any of the recognisable characters below.

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CHAPTER 12: TWINS

He had never been so bored in his entire life. Stannis kept talking on and on, but he had lost Eddrick attention hours ago. They started their lessons the day after signing the alliance treaty, and he still was not able to name halve the houses that his uncle had taught him. They had started with the houses from the Stormlands hoping that would keep Eddrick interested, but that was not the case.

Gendry was absent that day, the lucky bastard, as he was packing for his journey to Storm's End, and Stannis had dismissed Ally from class when he realised she knew each and every one of the houses better than Stannis himself. So, Ed was alone and bored... really bored. He could see Jon Targaryan from the window, heading to the dungeons for sure...

"Eddrick, tell me everything you know about House Gower, please."

"House Gower is a noble house from the Stormlands."

"And…"

"And…"

"And they blazon their arms with nine yellow trefoils on a black cross on ermine. The Gowers first support Renly before siding with me. Ser Gerald Gower remained in my service after the Battle of the Blackwater, and now, he is loyal to your brother. What about House Grandison?"

"House Grandison of Grandview is a noble house from Grandview. It blazons its arms with a black sleeping lion on yellow. Their words are "Rouse Me Not". Along with Lord Cafferen, Lord Grandison was captured by my father at the Battle of Summerhall during Robert's Rebellion. Robert then managed to turn the two Targaryen loyalists into allies. Lord Grandison was wounded at the Battle of the Trident, and died of his wound a year later. In the War of the Five Kings, presumably the Grandisons declare for Renly before joining your cause. Lord Hugh Grandison declared for Joffrey Lannister after the Battle of the Blackwater while, Ser Narbert continues to serve you, and now Gendry."

"I know this is boring Ed, but you need to know the history of the land you will help rule. Now…"

He was saved by a knock in the door. Davos got into the room and he took that opportunity to leave the place and find his brother. He found him in his chamber, packing clothes and books, and putting them into a giant trunk.

"Eddrick, have you come to help me?"

"I have just been tortured… And you expect me to help you fold your clothes?"

"That bad huh? Let me guess, Houses Gowers and Grandview?"

"How did you know?"

"He asked me the same yesterday during our lesson."

"And you could not even bother to share that piece of precious information?"

"And ruin all your fun?" Gendry chuckled. "Where is our dearest sister? Have you seen her today?"

"No, I have not. But I am sure she is running around with Jon Targaryen…"

"I am glad those two are starting to get along…"

"I am not, I do not trust him."

"Eddrick, they are betrothed, the least they can do is try to stand each other."

"It is not that… I just have this feeling… I somehow know he will hurt her…"

"Ed, you should stop the brotherly jealousy. I know it is hard to see our little sister with another man, but it was going to happen at some point. You do want nieces and nephews, right?"

"Ew, shut up!" He said throwing a shirt to his face. "Are you nervous? About going to Storm's End?"

"I started disliking ships when I had to row from Dragonstone to the free cities, so I am not particularly eager to get on one."

"You do not like flying, you do not like travelling by sea… Is there any form of transport that you enjoy Gen?"

"My feet, or a horse. Anyway, the roads are too dangerous for us while the Targaryen have taken King's Landing, and travelling by sea we avoid having to cross The Twins… So that is how we will travel."

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"

"Have you met Shireen?"

"No, I have not had the pleasure. They say she is a lovely girl, and that she loves to read."

"That is what Davos says… How do you think she will feel about not being a princess anymore?"

"I do not think she really liked the role on the first place." Ed said. "Are you going to take Andry with you?"

"Yes, he will join us when we sail for Storm's End. I think it will be better for him, that way he will not have to freeze up here and he will get some of his family back. Besides, I am sure he will like his new home, the only thing he really needs to be happy is a piano, and you told me there is one of those in Renly's old chambers, right?"

"Yes, that is right. We will be there in a few months, so just try to not kill anyone while we are not with you, and make sure that Shireen has anything she needs, and you will be just fine."

They finished packing Gendry's things and took the trunk to the yard. The party had already gathered and they were all saying their goodbyes when the brothers arrived. Eddrick heard the last part of the conversation Ally was having with Davos.

"It is mandatory that the blue trunk gets here in perfect conditions… Davos, please, I do not care about the clothes, or the books, or the jewellery, but please, get me my blue trunk." Ally said desperately.

"Do not worry my child, we will get your trunk here."

Eddrick concentrated on Gendry's conversation with Stannis next. He was telling Gendry about the masters that would help him from that time forward. He was also asking him to take care of Shireen and telling him to focus on the important things that happened around him. Last, but not least, he reminded him that they would see each other in some months.

Ally had approached him silently while he listened to his brother and uncle.

"We are both going to miss him, but we will see him soon enough."

"I do not think you will miss him… You spend all your time with your dear betrothed now…"

"Eddrick, do not be silly. I love you are my favorite and you know it, stop being so dramatic."

"Go" Ed said. "Say goodbye to your little brother."

"Eddrick" A voice said behind him. "May I ask you something?"

Eddrick turns around to talk to Jon Targaryen while he watched his brother ride away from Catle Black. Ally was standing a few meters away from them, still waving her hand.

"Yes, of course."

"I have noticed something rather odd… How come Gendry and Alara call always call each other little sister and little brother?"

"It is a joke between them… They do not know who was born first, so they tease each other with it."

"How do they not know?"

"It is quite simple, Jon" Ally answered standing next to Ed. "Gendry and I were born the same day… We just do not know the exact time, as we were not born from the same woman… We are twins, just twins from a different mother."

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Hey everyone!

I know this is short… But I have been thinking and I really think I couldn't match this POV with anything else, because of its content. You see, the next POV is Gendry getting to Storm's End and it didn't make too much sense to me right after this… I think it is better as a different chapter.

So, I will post the next chapter by the end of the week (hopefully Wednesday or Thursday) and it will be 3,000 words long as the chapters usually are.

I really hoped you liked it, even though it's short.

Review or PM if you need anything!

BTW, thanks to all of you who followed or favorited me or the story this past days, it is really great.

Be kind to one another!

Star:*


	14. CHAPTER 13: FEATURES

CHAPTER 13: FEATURES

He was certain he would be sick if they did not get to Storm's End soon. He had slept through half of the journey, and he would still be hidden inside his cabin if Andry had not gotten bored and demanded for him to go fishing on deck.

Davos had tried to teach him the basics about sailing, and explained how _When properly positioned, the sail's leading edge—the luff—points into the wind, creating higher pressure on the windward side (the side facing the wind) and lower pressure on the leeward side (the side away from the wind)_ and then _The sail "lifts," or moves, toward the lower-pressure side causing the boat to move. This happens because the sail isn't a flat sheet of cloth, it's curved, like a wing and the air traveling over the topside of the curved portion travels faster than that traveling on the underside. (The curvature, or "draft," is built-in by the sailmaker, through careful cutting and sewing of the narrow panels that make up the sail.)_ He remembered the conversation word by word, but he was not able to understand halve the things Davos told him. He was too busy not vomiting in front of 150 people, anyway.

Having Andry back with him was entertaining to say the least. He was excited to see his family again, and he loved the idea of living in a new place, as long as he could play his piano. He had been asking about Storm's End since Gendry told him they where sailing there. That is why Gendry started asking everybody what they knew about the place. He mainly heard stories about its huge keep, details about how wide it was on one side and how narrow on the other. However, he knew that Andry would not like those stories so he told him the legend that surrounded their new home.

According to legend, the castle was raised by the first Storm King, Durran Godsgrief, who married the goddess Elenei. Because this marriage doomed her to die a mortal's death, her parents, the god of sea and goddess of wind, raised a great storm that shattered the castle and downed the wedding party, save for Durran, who was protected by Elenei.

When the storm had ended, Durran rebuilt his castle, but again the gods destroyed it. Refusing to give up and move inland, he built five more castles in succession; and four where battered down by storms. The seventh was finally built strong enough to withstand the storms blowing in from Shipbreaker Bay. There are several theories about the building of the final castle; one myth is that a child who would become Brandon the Builder told Durran how to build it, another that the children of the forest helped raise it with magic...

Nevertheless, the stories did not prepare him for what he saw when they arrived in their new home. The castle stood tall and strong, like a fist provoking the skies and Shipbreaker Bay was stunning.

When they finally got off the ship Gendry and Davos leaded the group of men and women to the castle. That is when Gendry spotted her, his cousin Shireen. She was not as unlovely as a lot of people had said: yes, the poor child was unlucky enough to inherit her mother's large ears and her father's square, jutting jaw, but she had a pair of beautiful blue eyes. Gendry tried not to look too much to the greyscale on the left side of her face and neck and smiled warmly.

"Let me introduce myself, my lady: my name is Gendry Baratheon and this is the Steel Company."

Shireen smiled and Gendry noticed she was prettier when she did so. She curtsied and offered him her hand. Gendry took it and followed her through the castle while she explained every detail regarding the building.

"How have you been, my lady?"

"Cousin, if you are to be king, I believe you can call me by my name."

"How have you been Shireen?"

"I have been well, thank you. Storm's End is beautiful and the weather is nice, even if it suddenly starts raining. How was your journey?"

"Entertaining, to say the least. I do not enjoy travelling by ship, I prefer walking or riding to my destination, but sailing was faster and saver. I assume this castle has never seen so many people in a while, I am afraid you will have to get used to the noise."

"I will manage... Will you?"

"I have been living in a place full of loud men for the past months, and before that I lived with Ally an Eddrick... Believe me, there is no way a human being can win either of them on a shouting contest." Shireen giggled when she heard that. "Have you heard anything about the Targaryens?"

"No, not yet. As you know y father wanted me here for my safety, but we have not heard from them..."

"Do not worry... No news is good news, right?"

"That is what they say... I should let you get changed, you must be tired and supper will be served soon..."

"I will get myself ready, then." Gendry accompanied his cousin to her chambers. Before he left he noticed she was looking for something or someone. "Do you need any help?"

"My handmaiden appears to be missing, again. Do not worry, she does it some times... When she gets overwhelmed..."

Gendry asked a serving boy to take him to his chambers after that. The blond boy guided his through the hallways until they reached what Gendry supposed had been Renly's chambers. They were big and luxurious, as big and luxurious as the ones he had had in Lorath: rich pale golden sheets, black rugs, golden curtains, a white piano... He asked the boy to prepare his bath and chose his outfit for the night. He found a folded note on the bottom of his trunk, and he could not help but smile when he read it. Ally had clearly written down witch colour combined with witch, and witch did not; she had also explained the whole science behind that. He suddenly realised that, according to Ally's standards, he was committing _clothing murder _if he wore what he had chosen.

He was walking to the Great Hall when he bumped into someone. That someone was a girl, a beautiful girl, a few years younger than him, with beautiful features and dark hair. She had a frightened look on her deep green eyes, and she ran away before he could apologise.

He entered the hall and greeted his men. He saw Shireen saving him a seat at the main table, so he headed that way. He sat down beside her and talked to her the whole time, only leaving her side when he left to tuck Andry in. He even danced with her a couple of times, trying not to step on her feet.

A servant girl approached him after their third dance, and offered him some water. She was not the girl he had seen before, this was even more beautiful than the previous one. Her face was not as round and her eyes were grey, the perfect tone of stormy grey. He was about to smile like a fool when a blond lock of her got out of the kerchief she was wearing on her head. Gendry smiled and thanked the girl, before excusing himself and getting out of the hall.

He was almost running to his chambers when he bumped into someone. He realised that someone was a woman when she started swearing like a sailor. He got up as soon as he heard her say the words _You stupid bastard... _That was it, that was her, dressed as a man, dark brown haired, dark brown eyed... no, those eyes were wrong, her voice was wrong too, the shape of her face was not the same... He sighted and left the place without looking back.

He got into his new chambers and undressed himself. He had been acting irrationally the whole night. Her ghost was suddenly everywhere. He had almost been able to let her go, and suddenly he was seeing her everywhere again. He was not sure if it was his impending marriage or the stress that being on his own again caused, but he had been constantly dreaming about her, just as he had in Braavos.

He opened the window in order to get some fresh air in the room and he saw a rider arrive to the stables. He was not thinking about he was doing when he put his boots on and ran outside the keep. He quietly opened the door, and saw a girl brushing a horse.

Gendry got ready for another disappointment. She was short, dressed in men's clothing and was humming softly. Her hair was on a braid and the features on her face were the same as seven years before. She was there, right before him and he was frozen.

"Arry?"

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He did not want to go back to the castle. He would do anything to avoid the awkward situation he would have to face if he went back. He had to admit that locking her up in her chambers had not been the best idea, but he had known she would have not been needed... It did not matter. She would kill him the moment she could set her hands on him, that was at least what Eddrick's eyes said.

It had been weeks since Gendry left to Storm's End and Jon had done anything he could think of to make the youngest Baratheon warm up to him. Their relationship was definitely better now, but Ed did not fully trust him yet.

His relationship with Ally had been going better the last few weeks, but he was sure that would change today. He had locked her in her room when Sam told him they had seen wildlings trying to climb The Wall. He was not sure why he had done it, it had been a decision made at the spur of the moment, but he deeply regretted it then.

He walked all the way that separated the yard an Ally's chambers. He found Gilly before he took his last turn to the left.

"How have things been here?"

"I've seen caged wolfs who were calmer Lord Jon... She's angry..."

Jon took a deep breath before unlocking the door and getting into the chambers. He had only taken a step inside when a rather large vase smashed extremely close to his head.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"

"Ally, calm down..."

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN JON! YOU LOCKED ME UP ON MY OWN CHAMBERS AND YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHY DID YOU NOT LET ME FIGHT?"

"They were just some wildlings... We were never in real trouble..."

"I DO NOT CARE IF THEY WERE JUST A DOZEN OF BIRDS ATTACKING THE WALL I HAVE THE RIGHT AND THE OBLIGATION TO HELP."

"Ally... Your brother, your uncle and I..."

"Will be burned to ashes if you do not stop treating me like if I were a damsel in distress. I was the one that saved your sorry butts on our first battle here, Āeksion and I have been helping The Wall for the past months... I expect my overprotective brothers to treat me as I were a child, but not my future husband… I thought you understood that, Jon."

"I do… I really do… I just…"

"You just... What?"

"I just do not want you to get hurt. I know that it is an irrational fear, and that you can take care of yourself, but I would just prefer if you stayed out of this meaningless fights..."

Jon knew that their relationship would not be an easy one. Ally was a lady, a rebellious lady, but a lady after all; and he had forgotten how to deal with women a long time ago. She was different to anyone he had met before, even the features of personality that she shared with Ygritte or Arya were expressed in a different way.

"I did not mean to..."

"What do you want Jon?"

"I am aware that I do not know how to treat you... And I am not promising not to make any more mistakes, because I am sure I will make plenty of them... You are fierce when you feel that you family is in danger... Do not get me wrong I believe it is an admirable quality, however, I was not sure you would be able to restrain yourself from burning those wildlings if they dared touch a hair on Eddrick's hair. I need those wildlings... I need to get information from them... That is why I did what I did. I am not saying it was right... I am just saying..."

"That I am unpredictable... I understand Jon, but I would have preferred if you had talked to me instead of locking my door."

"I know... I brought you something." Jon walked out from the room and took the small blue trunk he had left on the floor beside the door. "I heard you making a fuss about it the other day, and I decided to deliver it myself. Although, I must admit I thought it would be bigger and heavier."

"The trunk id not important Jon, the thing that it contains on the other hand..."

"Will you tell me? Or will I have to guess?"

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It was necessary... Everything he was doing was necessary. They had to pay, they could not get away with what they did, that is why he did what he did. They deserved it. The men following him thought the same way he did, so that ensured that what he was doing was right.

He was walking around their camp when he heard it again, something stepping on a branch. He stood still for a moment, and then turned around very slowly, that is when he saw the wolf again.

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Hey guys!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter ;)

Special thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited the story!

Be kind to one another!

Star :*


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